The MLB free agent class that is left on the market in names like Ervin Santana, Stephen Drew and Kendrys Morales may wait until June to sign, as teams like the Toronto Blue Jays, Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners and Yankees could be interested, as long as a draft pick isn't tied to those moves.
According to a report from CBS Sports and confirmed by Hardball Talk and FOX, the three stars may stay on the free agent market until after the draft in June, as the pick compensation that is attached to them after getting qualifying offers from their teams would disappear. Drew and Santana have said that they don't like how the system works, as both players likely would have been signed by now to deals had teams not had to give up their first round picks to get them.
All three players received qualifying offers and now they are stuck on the market and on top of the fact that they still remain free agents, their price tags have gone down as well. The players are unhappy and there are teams that could be willing to sign them, but no one wants to give up those valuable picks and that puts the players at a disadvantage for no real reason. It makes to help teams retain their free agents and get compensation for losing them, but clearly this is hurting the players directly as well.
Santana was hoping to get a $100 million contract after hitting the market and now that won't happen, while Drew was hoping to get a one year deal. Nelson Cruz was in the same boat before signing a one year, $8 million deal with the Orioles, but Hardball Talk is reporting that Santana would rather wait than sign a deal like that. The three also could get back into the game before the draft and if they waited until after Opening Day, the draft compensation would be gone the following offseason as well.
Santana has reportedly gotten interest from the Orioles and the Rangers and this comes after Baltimore signed Ubaldo Jimenez as well, but after bringing on Cruz, they likely will wait on signing Santana. CBS Sports reports that the Rangers could get into the mix for Santana, as the team is dealing with a couple injured pitchers in Derek Holland and Matt Harrison.
The report says that the Blue Jays could be in on Santana as well and that after going 9-10 with a 3.24 ERA last season with the Royals, he could fit with the Rangers as well. The Orioles shelled out $50 million over four years for Jimenez and that could be in line with what Santana ends up getting and it could be some time before a deal goes down.
The Rockies are a wild card, as CBS Sports reports that the team could get in on Santana after starter Jhoulys Chacin went down with some shoulder issues. The team thinks he will be fine, but Santana could be a backup option if he doesn't return healthy. The Rockies haven't been shelling out too much money, but that could be an addition to make along with Morales, as the team has an opening at first base as well.
