Braves: Could a major change be coming to the free agency landscape?

Despite being among the most active teams of the entire offseason, free agency has been moving at a snail’s pace for over a month now for the Braves, with very few signs that’s going to change. It’s a problem Major League Baseball has been facing for quite a while, really failing to make the most out of a period of time that could be incredibly exciting if condensed. There’s absolutely zero reason it should take stars like Kyle Tucker, Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez, and others six months to sign new contracts.

But perhaps that’s something that could be changing in the near future, with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred showing support for a free-agent signing deadline that could bring some fire back to baseball’s offseason.

“I think there’s going to be some more conversation about it (free agent deadline), because I do believe that there’s a marketing opportunity,” Manfred told WFAN hosts Craig Carton and Chris McMonigle, via Evan Drellich of The Athletic. “Let’s face it, we operate in a really competitive environment. Just put entertainment, generally, to one side — just sports, right? It’s really competitive. And I think that you make a mistake, particularly during the offseason, when you don’t take every advantage to push your sport out in front of your fans during that down period.”

There is significant pushback from the players on such a deadline, as they argue that it could potentially force them into signing deals of lesser value. While I’m typically always on the side of the players in this seemingly endless fight between millionaires and billionaires, I don’t see a free-agent deadline as something that would significantly affect their respective markets.

There is already a free-agent deadline every year, and that deadline is Spring Training and the start of the season. No team wants to sign a high-value free agent so late in the offseason that it potentially affects their chances to be at their best when the season begins in early March.

A free-agent deadline would likely do nothing but speed up the process, and it is a massive missed opportunity by Major League Baseball. The NBA and NFL do a tremendous job staying relevant throughout the entire offseason. There are always conversations to be had about the draft, free agency, and potential blockbuster trades. Right now, Major League Baseball is essentially radio silent for several months leading into the season.

There are plenty of changes the players should bargain for during the next CBA discussions. The arbitration system is incredibly flawed, and qualifying offers severely limit the number of offers to top free agents because of the loss of draft compensation — to name a couple. They should strongly push for changes in those areas, but a free agent deadline would benefit both the league and its fans, providing loads of offseason excitement packed into a more condensed window.

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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire

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