The working theory among some agents in December was that once Shohei Ohtani picked a team, the market for corner guys -- corner outfielders, corner infielders, designated hitter-types -- would loosen, with clubs that lost out on the Ohtani bidding turning to alternatives.
That conjecture has faded over the past 50 days, with many of the same free agents still unsigned, still hoping for some thaw in what many on the player side see as a hard wall of group thought. The offers are similar, agents say. "How many free agents have signed really good contracts?