“If Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso Can’t Land Big Deals, What Does It Mean for MLB Free Agency?”
Free agency in Major League Baseball has long been a prized milestone, a moment when players can test the open market and secure a life-changing payday after years of service to one organization. But as the game’s economics evolve, the landscape for free agents has dramatically shifted—and not for the better.
Despite the staggering $700 million contract Shohei Ohtani received from the Los Angeles Dodgers and Juan Soto’s $765 million deal with the New York Mets, the reality is clear: teams are no longer spending freely in free agency. The rise in franchise valuations and player contracts has made teams more cautious, especially when investing long-term in aging players.
Gone are the days when veterans in their early 30s, like Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera, could command massive deals at the height of their careers. Instead, the pendulum has swung firmly in favor of younger talent, with teams now focusing their resources on players still in their prime. But the new problem this creates? Star free agents aged 28-30, like Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman, are now struggling to secure the big-market deals they once expected.
Alonso, one of the most dominant power hitters in MLB since 2019 with 226 home runs, waited until just before spring training to re-sign with the New York Mets on a relatively modest two-year, $54 million deal—far less than the $150 million his camp originally hoped for. Meanwhile, Alex Bregman, a two-time World Series champ and one of the top third basemen in the game, is also left without a long-term offer, with his hopes of landing a $30 million annual deal fading fast.
If even stars like Alonso and Bregman can’t secure top-tier contracts, what does that mean for the future of MLB free agency? With teams tightening their purse strings, the game’s financial landscape could be facing a significant shift—one that changes how players, agents, and teams approach the open market for years to come.
Leave a Reply