Patience is a virtue.

The MLB offseason has been uneventful, and fans are growing restless. It’s already the middle of December, and other than James McCann, none of the game’s top free agents have found a new home. The Winter Meetings, typically one of the offseason’s busiest events, were held virtually and featured just one noteworthy transaction: the White Sox trade for Lance Lynn. 

Are baseball’s executives in hibernation, or is something else preventing them from making moves?

If you’re concerned about your favorite team’s inactivity, take a deep breath and understand that a confluence of factors has created a new normal in Major League Baseball.

Setting the Precedent

The 2017-2018 offseason was the first indication that teams would no longer rush their free agent decisions. That winter, fans watched as an array of All-Stars remained unsigned into the new year. Mike Moustakas, who set the Royals’ single-season home run record in 2017, stayed on the market until March before re-signing with Kansas City. Slugger J.D. Martinez, who was coming off a 45-home run season, signed with the Red Sox after position players had already reported to Spring Training. And former Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta didn’t agree to terms with the Phillies until mid-March, just weeks before the club’s season opener. 

There were other top free agents who, like J.D. Martinez, found themselves in danger of watching Opening Day from home. Eric Hosmer and Yu Darvish were able to secure multi-year, $100+ million contracts, but not until mid-February. 

The New Normal

At the time, the curiously slow-moving offseason seemed like an aberration caused by a weak free agent class. But that theory was disproved the following year when Manny Machado and Bryce Harper signed their record breaking deals in February and March, respectively.

The late signings of Machado and Harper — two 26-year-old superstars — illustrated just how dramatically baseball’s economic system has shifted. Despite their terrific track records, Machado and Harper represented too much of a commitment for most clubs. Rather than rushing to sign these franchise cornerstones, the Padres and Phillies secured their services by waiting for other teams to drop out of the race. 

In the past, such late signings were reserved for players destined to receive less money than originally desired. Now, however, even the most sought after free agents can be left in the cold for most of the winter.

Searle’s Final Say

Baseball offseasons unfold rather slowly these days, and that pace has been further exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. According to Commissioner Rob Manfred, the thirty major league clubs have accrued a record $8.3 billion in debt after a season with no fan attendance. Even teams that appeared to be in excellent financial shape, like the Phillies, are reportedly concerned about their bottom lines. 

With teams operating on limited budgets, it will take a while for the biggest free agents to come off the board. The pandemic has prevented in-person meetings between player representatives and team executives, adding yet another wrinkle to the negotiation process. 

In 2020, everything is an arduous, drawn-out ordeal, and MLB’s offseason is no exception.