It’s halfway through December. Do you know where your free agents are?
For many of them, in recent winters, the answer has been “still on the market.” It’s become somewhat normal for big-ticket signings to require waiting until January or February (or even March). But something has been different this year: Free agency has been moving at a notably faster clip.
The Yankees’ reported deal with Carlos Rodón on Thursday represented a contract for the best pitcher remaining on the market. With Rodón now off the board, 13 of the best 15 players ranked on Sports Illustrated’s initial list of top 50 free agents have signed. (The only two left are shortstop Dansby Swanson and outfielder Andrew Benintendi.) This means that for any teams still in search of talent, there are remarkably few options left to sign, and upcoming impact moves will likely have to come via trade instead of free agency. This wouldn’t have been anything unusual for this point of the year once upon a time. But after what the game has seen the last few winters? It’s a dramatic change of pace.
