A historically slow offseason gained only marginal traction once Spring Training began, and a handful of notable players remain free agents as Opening Day of the 2018 season is less than a week away. The lack of activity did not sit well with Kenley Jansen, among several others.
Speaking at the Dodgers’ FanFest event in January, the Los Angeles Dodgers closer wondered aloud if players would need to strike in response to teams refraining from spending. The Dodgers, as well as other teams, were mindful of getting below the $197 million luxury tax so as to reset their penalty rate.
The general consensus being this winter’s free agency, which is likely to include Bryce Harper, Clayton Kershaw and Manny Machado, will lead to record contracts being doled out.
But before that can become a reality, there is a full season left to play. And it’s one that Jansen believes several teams aren’t actually interested in being competitive for, per John Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball:
“They’re just not trying that hard,” Jansen said. “I think they are competing for the championship of revenue (profit). I think they are trying to see who can have the most revenue (profit). I think they don’t care about the trophy. No disrespect, but we want to see more teams be competitive.”
While the Dodgers were among the teams that didn’t lavishly spend on free agents, Jansen is confident the organization is nonetheless committed to winning a World Series:
“The Dodgers are all about winning championships,” Jansen said. “They say, ‘Go get the trophy. Win for our city.’”
Clayton Kershaw voiced a similar frustration this spring, explaining his stance that players would always want to be alongside top talent. But in that same breath, the three-time Cy Young Award said he understood, from a business perspective, why the Dodgers operated as they did.
Time will ultimately tell if owners were simply putting themselves in better position to make a splash this offseason, or if lining pockets was the main priority. If it proves to be the latter, it could set the stage for a bitter labor dispute.
