Where is the excitement people?
Gian(t)carlo Stanton. Shohei Ohtani. Yu Darvish. J.D Martinez. Those other guys. “This offseason is going to be packed,” said every single person who has ever somewhat associated with baseball at the beginning of this offseason. Really? Because I haven’t seen a single move yet. Stanton has been getting traded to the Giants for over a week, and scouts have been drooling over Ohtani reportedly since he was in high school. Everyone is wondering where Darvish will go to redeem his World Series status, and Martinez is in line for quite the payday.
Now, this is not a predictions article. I’m not in that business right not (by which I mean this week). I’m simply curious why there have been zero (major) moves so far. Yes, Doug Fister will help Texas’s rotation, and the acquisition of Aledmys Diaz signals the end of the Troy Tulowitzki era in Toronto. But what about these big players? Shouldn’t they be flying off the shelves?
The main argument has been that teams are waiting for Stanton to go so that a precedent is established and the proverbial floodgates can be opened. But what is the holdup with Stanton? I know it is a franchise-altering move for the two parties involved, but c’mon Jeter! If you want to trade him, trade him. If not, let teams know so they stop calling you. A good trade would probably be an everyday starter and two or three top-flight prospects. JUST PULL THE TRIGGER. The Giants desperately need a slugger and the Marlins desperately need to unload all this crap.
But let’s say Stanton goes to the Giants for, I don’t know, one of their infielders and two of their top four prospects. Would that make teams comfortable signing Martinez? I mean, I know it’s kind of an apples-to-oranges comparison, but what else is holding them back?
Now, we must of course consider the players themselves. Maybe they are playing hardball. Maybe they are asking for exorbitant amounts, knowing that they are top-tier players who should only go to a team that really appreciates them. If so, then I guess I can see why the process has been stalled.
I don’t know. I’m just wondering out loud (or on screen) here. Hopefully we see some deals soon, lest we be forced to watch the targeting rule get implemented in the NFL...
