Top MLB Pitchers Become Butt of the Joke as NFL Free Agency Kicks Into Full Gear
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MLB's snail-paced free agency became a critical topic of discussion this offseason, even as the hot stove remained cold.
Major figures from commissioner Rob Manfred to super agent Scott Boras addressed the elongated signing period, with days – or sometimes weeks – passing between notable transactions. The league may end up adding new deadlines or structure to free agency, considering just how often fans have complained about a lack of action after the World Series came to a close.
The NFL, on the other hand, does not have that problem.
Monday marked the start of the two-day tampering period before NFL free agency officially gets underway, and it didn't take long for star players to find new homes. Quarterback Kirk Cousins signed with the Atlanta Falcons, running back Saquon Barkley went to the Philadelphia Eagles and running back Tony Pollard joined the Tennessee Titans, all within a few hours.
Compare that to MLB's free agency, which featured a full month of teeth-pulling before Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yoshinobu Yamamoto went through a similar process not long after, while Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman didn't sign until Spring Training had already gotten underway.
As it stands, reigning NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell and World Series champion Jordan Montgomery are still free agents. Established sluggers JD Martinez and Brandon Belt are hanging around on the open market as well.
Fans and media members alike have taken the opportunity to clown not just the pair of aces, but MLB as a whole, now that NFL free agency has taken center stage.
It has been 126 days since MLB free agency began. There are 17 days left until Opening Day.
So with just 12% of the offseason remaining, Spring Training halfway done and NFL free agency sucking away a good amount of the oxygen, time is officially ticking for Snell and Montgomery.
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