MLB News: Giants Pitcher Believes Bryce Harper Is Part Of The Reason Free Agency Is So Bad
Manny Machado had the luxury of waiting as long as he needed to wait for a good deal from the right Major League Baseball team. Spring Training is about to begin in 2019 and Bryce Harper is still without a home as he’s waiting for the right deal, the right time, and the right team. Other MLB players don’t necessarily have that kind of luxury and one pitcher for the San Francisco Giants feels the better players may be the problem with free agency.
The San Diego Padres signed Manny Machado to a 10-year deal worth $300 million just a few days ago. As reported by the Inquisitr, Bryce Harper is weighing even bigger contracts from the Padres, Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and possibly two more teams.
With those teams looking to sign one or two players for that much money, it means that they aren’t really looking at any other free agents. Their money has to be available if the top free agents such as Harper end up deciding to sign with their ball club, and it keeps them from searching for other talents.
That creates a rather interesting problem for both MLB players and teams in that waiting too long could cost you. If you’re a team going after someone like Harper and he signs with another club, you’re left out in the cold with most of the other free agents already gone.
The same can be said for players who simply can’t wait that long and Giants pitcher Nick Vincent realizes that MLB free agency is not good right now.
Giants Sign Nick Vincent https://t.co/aCTR2jZhdP pic.twitter.com/WxtCo06w1Q
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) February 21, 2019
Vincent has averaged 63 appearances per year over the last three seasons for the Seattle Mariners, and he has a posted a 3.62 ERA. Those are not bad numbers at all, and the Giants have now signed him to a minor-league deal, but chances are that he will end up on their opening day roster at the MLB level.
Giants signed reliever Nick Vincent to minor league deal. Has had a lot of success at big league level with Padres and Mariners.
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) February 21, 2019
Despite putting up really good numbers for the Mariners and Padres in his career, Vincent couldn’t land an MLB roster spot. He kept trying to find a spot in the majors somewhere, but it just wasn’t there, and as reported by Mercury News, he said free agency is just not good right now.
“It’s a crazy free agent market right now and I hope it gets better in the future just for the future players. It’s not getting any better right now and it’s bad to be a part of it but it is what it is.”
A number of teams took a look at Nick Vincent, but none of them stepped up and made offers to him unlike they have with Bryce Harper and Manny Machado. While not exactly putting the full blame on them or saying it is their fault, Vincent says that not everyone can hold out like that.
“We can’t wait that long. We’ve got to sign minor league deals. We’re not Bryce Harpers. We’ve got to come out and prove we can still pitch and make the team wherever we’re at.”
Even though the San Francisco Giants were bitter enemies of Nick Vincent during his time with the Padres, he respects the organization. Now, he’s just happy to have been signed by a team and he knew that he simply couldn’t wait any longer. Bryce Harper is fielding offers left and right which means there will be a spot for him on a team somewhere. If Vincent had waited too much longer during free agency, his spot may have been taken.
