The massive deals achieved by Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani are likely to change the notion regarding free agency! While there was a time when players preferred to stay back with the teams for a long time, Soto and Ohtani turned the tide proving that hitting free agency can be profitable as well. North of $700 million is enough to make the players think twice before staying back with the team. Veteran JD Martinez thinks so!

However, it would be wrong to consider that anyone hitting free agency will witness the same fortune as Ohtani and Soto. Rather their deal should be considered an exception that happens once in a blue moon. Yes, thats the dark truth of free agency. So is free agency just a fluke and how the players should proceed to free agency? 

The truth of free agency sans Ohtani

Contrary to popular opinion, free agency is not a fairytale, to say the least. For all the 29 teams in MLB, there are as many players in free agency waiting to get a team. So, competition is a high guarantee of getting a team is not given. This serves the fact that free agency comes with its one risks. From the financial perspective, most of the teams except the Dodgers, Yankees, and Mets come with a strict budget and they cannot just pour rain for new players. The Dodgers are getting the maximum big names like Ohtani due to their high budget. Hence, big names and talents will not guarantee a deal rather it is the requirement and budget of the teams. Remember Alex Bregman? Despite having huge experience and numbers, he is yet to get placed. 

“Unless you’re a guy like Soto or Otani you know if you’re at the elite and you’re at the top … it’s going to be Disneyland for you …but if you’re not it’s going to be a struggle”, said the veteran hitter JD Martinez. He is a guy who has ample experience of free agency and this offseason, he is still there yet to find a place. Well, players who hope to splash on hitting free agency same as Soto or Ohtani, need to have a reality check. Only a few handful capable of hitting like Soto or a unique two-way player like Shohei Ohtani can fetch an exorbitant amount and not others. Teams can invest heavily only in someone who can bring business. Ohtani is leading the merchandise sales for the Dodgers and hence he deserves such value. So free agency can be cruel sometimes. 

Future perspective 

Challenges do come with potential opportunities. The free agency even though not guarantee a huge valuation can still be the probable destination for talented guys to taste the pill. Apart from Soto and Ohtani, there are guys like Anthony Santander and Tanner Scott who found good deals after being in free agency for a long. Martinez thinks patience can be the key here. Anyone hitting free agency needs to be patient enough to let the teams know his worth. The famous or infamous agent Scott Boras is the prime example of what patience can do. Remember how he is going to place Pete Alonso with the Mets after hard negotiations? 

Free agency is not a Disneyland for all and anyone hitting here should be careful about what comes next. “It hurts the ego a little bit when you see guys before you that you’ve outperformed gotten paid a lot more than you,” said Martinez pointing out how talent just cannot fetch the best value in free agency and other factors are involved for the teams. Now the dark truth about free agency is revealed, the guys entering the space should proceed accordingly and not be expected to be Ohtani. 

Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani are the benchmark of free agency but not to be followed. Hard work, skills and dedication to the sports are all a player can work on, the rest of the situation will decide about the value. 

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