Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout said MLB players want to avoid free agency.
With what was once deemed the"hot stove" season suddenly going cold, MLB players may now be looking to get deals done before they ever hit the open market. While speaking to Business Insider to promote his partnership with BodyArmor, Trout said he believes players are now avoiding free agency.MLB superstar Mike Trout talks dancing for commercials, signing the biggest contract in league history, free agency, and the Angels' season
He noted that star players like Manny Machado and Bryce Harper went un-signed until February. Machado eventually signed a 10-year, $300 million deal with the San Diego Padres, while Harper signed a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, the biggest in league history until Trout's extension.
As the free agent market has stagnated, some in the baseball world tossed around the word"collusion." Former agent and now Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen last year suggested owners were colluding.