This was the response given last year by Bryce Harper when asked if he could be the first 400 million dollar player. I’ll let that sink in for a moment.
Harper, a Scott Boras client, is a free agent after this season is looking to cash in with a great walk year. He along with Manny Machado, Zach Britton, and if Clayton Kershaw opts out of his deal will make up the most highly anticipated free agent class of all time. It’s probably the reason for the lull in this year’s free agent class.
There are nearly 100 free agents still left on the market causing the MLBPA to set up a free agent spring training facility. The penny pinching by teams has also led to a lawsuit by the MLBPA against revenue sharing teams for not spending their allotted revenue.
Another few reasons for the lack of spend is the influx in home runs and made them very cheap to pay for. Who needs an expensive player when anyone can do it now? Also tanking is now a thing in the MLB because of the success of the Houston Astros.
These elements have caused a storm around the MLB and it will get a lot worse before it gets better. Can you imagine a 400 million dollar player? Can you can imagine how many years it would take you to make 400 million dollars? It might take Bryce Harper under 10 years. As a fan, can you justify you team paying that much for one player? I can’t.
The gap between Owners and players is a large one but the gap between players and their fans is about to be much bigger.
