There is no shortage of unsigned free agents in Major League Baseball, and though pitchers and catchers are set to report in a week, many high-caliber players presumably will be without a club.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll idly be sitting and waiting during February and March.
An idea that has been floated around for a bit now appears to be highly likely: a separate spring training for unsigned free agents.
The MLB Players Association reportedly is scouting out locations in Arizona and Florida that would allow those unsigned a place to work out and conduct their own spring training, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Tim Brown.
https://twitter.com/TBrownYahoo/status/961408508515274752
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal later confirmed the news.
Source confirms: A separate training camp for unsigned free agents “will happen.” Union not sure how many players will attend, but plan to make a facility available in Florida or Arizona. First reported: @TBrownYahoo.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 8, 2018
Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan also added a bit more detail, including a tidbit indicating that not all players will be jumping up to go and take part.
Been told the union is considering starting a camp as soon as Tuesday — the day pitchers and catchers report to some team sites. Some prominent players still have not been informed, and it’s unclear just how many would participate. One free agent told me he’d rather stay home. https://t.co/CSFEUlmr2Y
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 8, 2018
Whether this actually stokes the flames of the ice-cold MLB hot stove is yet to be seen, but it might at least serve as a productive outlet for players who aren’t satisfied with their offers yet.
Pitchers and catcher report Tuesday for some teams, and Wednesday for the remaining squads.
