Whenever one of baseball’s biggest stars enters free agency, speculation abounds as to which team will ultimately ink him to a contract. Often, fans and media alike will make assumptions about the player’s likely destination based on where he grew up or his ties to a particular city.
As enticing as it is to believe that a free agent will favor a team for sentimental reasons, players are more concerned with the terms of a contract than a franchise’s geographical location. Simply put, the idea that an MLB player will favor a team that offers less money because it represents a “homecoming” is largely a myth.
CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira
Perhaps the most obvious example of this phenomenon occurred in the 2008-2009 offseason, when starter CC Sabathia and first baseman Mark Teixeira were the most desirable names on the free agent market. Both players were just 28 years old, and both had performed well after joining contending teams via mid-season trades.
Sabathia, a native of Vallejo, California, was said to prefer the West Coast as a landing spot. Then-Dodgers GM Ned Coletti claimed that Sabathia had personally told him of his desire to pitch in LA, and other reports reinforced the notion that the hefty lefty wanted to stay close to home. Ultimately, however, Sabathia opted to sign a record-breaking seven-year, $161 million deal with the Yankees.
Like Sabathia, Mark Teixeira was courted by teams with connections to his childhood. Teixeira grew up in Severna Park, Maryland and rooted for the Orioles for much of his adolescence. Orioles fans might have thought that the slugger would sign with Baltimore for a discounted rate, but such hopes proved to be unfounded.
“Tex” was reportedly offered a seven-year, $150 million deal from the O’s, which was not enough to bring him to Baltimore. In December of 2008, the same month that Sabathia signed his megadeal, Teixeira agreed to an eight-year, $180 million contract with the Yankees. In doing so, Teixeira spurned his hometown team for a division rival.
Trout Remains An Angel
While Sabathia and Teixeira prove that baseball players are more driven by money than nostalgia, they are not the only examples to support this conclusion. For years, it was assumed that Mike Trout would one day play for the Philadelphia Phillies. It seemed like the perfect fit; after all, the New Jersey native is an Eagles season ticket holder and friends with several Eagles players.
As much as Trout may enjoy traveling to Philly to watch football games, his affinity for the city was not enough to make him a permanent resident. He agreed to a 12-year, $426.5 million extension with the Angels prior to the 2019 season, essentially making him an Angel for life.
Cole in the Yankees’ Stocking
Despite the evidence that players are unlikely to come back to their hometowns in free agency, rumors about such returns are a frequent topic of conversation. In 2019, for example, the Angels were considered a likely landing spot for Southern California native Gerrit Cole until he opted to sign with the Yankees for $324 million. Likewise, the Rangers pursued native Texan and Rice University alum Anthony Rendon before he chose to go to Anaheim for $245 million.
Ultimately, a free agent is primarily motivated by two factors: the total amount of guaranteed money offered by a ballclub and the chance that the team will win a championship in the near future. As a friend told Gerrit Cole when he was deciding between the Angels and Yankees, “When your primary goal is to win a championship, it doesn’t matter where you sleep.”
