The Issue at the Heart of MLB's Free-Agency Debate

In some palm-treed parts of the country, Major League Baseball’s 2018 Spring Training is underway in earnest. This is normally one of the most anticipated times of the year, with fans who have had to make do tracking the winter’s transactions getting to see something akin to real baseball again, and the excitement always coalesces around the players who have found new homes, who might provide their teams with the needed extra magic. Even batting practice is fun when Shohei Ohtani’s taking it.

This February, though, there’s a dour note to the proceedings. Aside from a few major moves—Ohtani to the Angels, the reigning National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton traded to the Yankees—the offseason has, in Bradenton, Florida, allowing those still awaiting the call to keep their skills sharp.