For all the changes Rob Manfred makes to improve baseball, the one that’s egregiously missing is a hard free agency deadline. Kudos to Scott Boras for the vice grip he has on the open market. I know he believes holding out for the best deal is the optimal path to maximize returns, but I think baseball owners lack the desperation Mr. Boras believes exists. Cody Bellinger, whose market has shrunk to two or three teams, is a perfect example.
You can blame Jed Hoyer for not pushing hard enough to sign Bellinger, but the deal Boras and Bellinger are seeking probably doesn’t exist.