Major League Baseball is in a weird place right now. Spring training started for the Oakland Athletics on Monday, and the rest of the league will get things underway in the coming days. That’s exciting news for people in cold weather cities who need an eye toward spring to get through the last few weeks of winter, but things seem different this year.
The hot stove has mostly remained cold this offseason, and with pitchers and catchers reporting there’s literally an All-Star team of free agents still available. Manny Machado and Bryce Harper are high on that list of top talent still on the market, and at this point it’s getting pretty absurd that no one seems willing to give them money to play baseball.
There’s a lot of wage suppression and negotiating at play here, and only a few teams seem willing to pay what Harper is asking. One of those teams is not the San Francisco Giants, but Steve Kerr wants Harper to sign with the team anyway. According to the New York Post, the Giants have “no interest” in a long-term deal with Harper, but there are some talks about a shorter deal.
Kerr was asked about Harper on Sunday and, though he seemed as confused about baseball free agency as the rest of America, did his best to pitch the baseball mega free agent on landing with the Giants and ending one of the more absurd free agent periods in baseball history.
“It could be fun,” Kerr said Sunday. “I’d love it if Bryce Harper came here. Does my opinion matter? Bryce, come to the Giants! Let’s go. Is that true? Is that going around? Kind of? It’s exciting.”
Given the lack of news in baseball this offseason, Kerr even commenting on the process is newsworthy enough. Basketball has a way of making transactions nearly as interesting as the games themselves. Baseball, especially after this offseason, could use a lesson or two in that category.
