Will there be many/any big signings prior to the Dec. 1 contract deadline?

[Theo Tollefson]

MLB Trade Rumors just released a piece saying several high end free agents may try to sign big deals for themselves before the CBA expires. It does take a lot away from Jeff Passan's column on the GM meetings this week, but given the CBA expires before the Winter Meetings take place. It's really hard for me to believe that more than three of the top 20 free agents would sign long term deals. I'd be really interested to see if one of the top shortstops on the market signs a deal before then. It will certainly set a market price for other shortstop, depending on who it is. 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/11/corey-seager-marcus-semien-rumors-sign-before-cba-lockout.html

[bean5302]

Trying to sneak in deals before the next CBA could be awfully risky though. See Minnesota Wild, chapters Parise, Zack and Suter, Ryan.

[Squirrel]

fyi ... here's a link to the Jeff Passan article, which is behind a paywall, but you can read a couple paragraphs before you can't, unless you are subscribed.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/32612663/why-mlb-seems-headed-lockout-how-thatll-create-free-agent-frenzy

[Trov]

It is an interesting question.  Both sides have huge risk if they sign a deal before the new CBA.  I think it really depends on what each side bottom line is going to be and how current contracts will be treated.  For example, if this is finally when a cap and floor gets put in, not expecting that, but how will current contracts fit into the cap?  Will they count against it, will just a percent count against it?  Even if not a cap, if a new luxury tax cap gets put in and lowered or more impact, same questions come up. 

Both teams and players may take a risk for signing now, neither side knows what the new CBA will look like.  I expect it will be very different going forward, but I could be wrong.  This is not like in the past where only little tweeks were expected.  Both sides have been very upset on how the CBA has developed and been attacking each other in the media for last few years. If a major deal is struck it will be only my a major market team is my guess. 

[4twinsJA]

Hoping Twins get Buxton deal done and one starting pitcher before CBA.

[Theo Tollefson]

Well, Syndergaard and Rodriguez are off the board with decent contracts, but they are not top tier free agents. Right now my guess is that Freddie Freeman gets a massive deal to resign with the Braves before two weeks from now. 

[MABB1959]

I don't remember seeing the Twins involved in any of the "big" winter meetings.  Sitting on the sidelines so they hem and haw about how they tried.  I think I have wised up to this.  Didn't change with the current (no new anymore) FO like we hoped/prayed it would.  Might as well send me to the Winter meetings.

[bean5302]

Verlander off the board. With that and the big extension for Berrios, I expect some dominos to start falling.

[Theo Tollefson]

After today's activity on the free agent market, we can safely say, yes. There was a lot of activity with free agency before the lockout begins on Thursday.