Pitchers and catchers report to camp five weeks from today, and yet it seems like half of baseball has treated free agency as if it's optional to building a successful team. Seven Major League Baseball teams have not signed a single big league free agent this winter. Eight teams have signed one. The New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees have spent $1.45 billion in free agency this winter -- more than the other 27 teams combined.
Because the top of the market has been so robust -- of the $2.6 billion guaranteed so far, $1.56 billion went to five stars -- it has been easy to miss the larger trends. Of those seven free agentless teams, three made the postseason last year (Milwaukee, San Diego, Atlanta), two were playoff teams a year earlier (Seattle, Minnesota), one is a perennial contender in need of a reset (St. Louis) and the other is in full teardown mode (Miami).
All of them share two things: budgetary constraints and a healthy appreciation for the bargains that can accompany free agency in the new year. As the market softens and dozens of players still seeking jobs begin to concern themselves with how many roster spots actually remain, teams can pounce, hunting for deals across the free agent landscape. There is going to be movement. There must be. Too many good players remain jobless.
Alex Bregman is an all-around impact player, and Pete Alonso's bat improves any lineup it joins. If a starter with premium stuff is needed, Jack Flaherty and Nick Pivetta fit the bill. Anthony Santander and Jurickson Profar are multi-win outfielders. Relief pitching is plentiful enough that teams will take advantage of the supply-demand imbalance. And of course Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, two future Hall of Famers, remain intent on continuing to play in their 40s.
As much as spending doesn't always equal success, it's hard to find teams that have been more successful at upgrading themselves this offseason than the ones that have spent. For a few more weeks, there is time for the teams that have lagged all offseason to salvage their inaction. And those who so far have won the winter, even more opportunities are primed to present themselves.