With the free agent market at nearly a standstill except for relievers, some teams might head to their Spring Training destinations with the roster they currently have. Others will make a few changes, and some other teams will do as they did last season and add free agents after Spring Training camp opens in February. With just 35 days until camps open on February 12th for some teams, there is not much time left for a market that seems to be waiting for Manny Machado and Bryce Harper to choose their new destinations which will allow other teams to spend their cash on other targets.
In particular we called out the Dodgers on Saturday as you have to think they will be making their move on Bryce Harper or why else would they be waiting on moves? Yesterday, Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times seemed to pick up on the theme of our article that the Dodgers have been in negative growth so far. Hernandez covered this in an article in a series of Tweets.
The #Dodgers cleared space in their outfield by trading Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp. And money shouldn't be an excuse for them. So where's Bryce Harper? https://t.co/H3FW14irbd
— Dylan Hernández (@dylanohernandez) January 6, 2019
When it comes down to it, only one team will get Bryce Harper and most likely another team will get Machado leaving 28 other teams with neither of them. What moves will the other teams make? That is part of the mystery as there is only one Dallas Keuchel and one A.J. Pollock. The Dodgers, Phillies, White Sox, and Yankees are the teams mostly rumored to be on Machado or Harper along with the Washington Nationals who are rumored to be the most aggressive after Harper.
That begs the question what the Cubs, Red Sox, Indians, Astros, Braves, Brewers, and Rockies are waiting for? It appears they are waiting for bargains and to see what their competitors do.
For the rest of us, we just wait and watch the “Cold Stove” but don’t fret Nationals fans as general manager Mike Rizzo has done the most to improve his team so far.
