The lack of free-agent signings this offseason could have far-reaching consequences for a number of veterans who still find themselves on the market.
With the landscape changing and rebuilding teams no longer willing to shell out money to sign aging players, a vast majority of veterans have been left without work three weeks before Opening Day and could be squeezed out of the league entirely.
Though Jose Bautista refuted a report Thursday that said the slugger is considering retirement if he does not receive the contract he feels he deserves, the reality for a number of veterans is that the lucrative offers are not going to come and their days may be numbered.
Considering Mike Moustakas and Logan Morrison - two players who are considerably younger and coming off 38-homer campaigns - each signed one-year, $6.5-million deals, it will be tough for this group of five former stars to land a job, making it increasingly likely that they'll be forced into retirement as a result of a stagnant free agency.
Matt Holliday
MLB Seasons: 14
Career WAR: 49.9
Career Earnings: $159.9M
Holliday agreed to a one-year, $13-million deal prior to last season to serve as the New York Yankees' designated hitter after posting 20 homers and a .782 OPS in 2016. Twelve months later he's out of work. Two different stints on the disabled list limited the seven-time All-Star to 105 games in 2017, but he still managed to hit 19 home runs and 18 doubles, while slashing .231/.316/.432. Holliday has 314 career home runs and 1,217 RBIs on his resume. At this stage of his career, however, Holliday is no longer an option in the outfield, and would be limited to DH and first-base duties.
Jayson Werth
MLB Seasons: 15
Career WAR: 35.2
Career Earnings: $136M
Werth has been limited by injuries in two of the last three seasons and is coming off a year in which he appeared in just 70 games. The 38-year-old has proven that he's still capable at the plate when healthy, and would be better served as a DH/fourth outfielder for an AL team. He hit .238/.331/.409 with 31 home runs and 38 doubles in 213 games over the last two seasons, and said in January that he's healthy and believes he has a few more years left in the tank.
Ryan Howard
MLB Seasons: 13
Career WAR: 19.3
Career Earnings: $190M
Howard appears to have run out of takers. The 2006 NL MVP didn't appear in the majors at all last season, but did sign two different minor-league deals with the Atlanta Braves and Colorado Rockies. Howard hit just .189/.208/.367 with four home runs in 27 Triple-A games and hasn't received a contract offer this winter. The 38-year-old said last month that he's not officially retired, but his career is likely in jeopardy.
John Lackey
MLB Seasons: 15
Career WAR: 43.4
Career Earnings: $140M
Despite rumors surrounding his potential retirement in November, Lackey had ambitions of pitching at least one more season. The winner of three World Series titles with three different teams, Lackey still has the stuff to make him a reliable back-of-the-rotation arm, even at 39. He posted a 4.59 ERA last season, but still managed to throw 170 2/3 innings and had a respectable 1.28 WHIP. With Jake Arrieta, Alex Cobb, and Lance Lynn all still looking for work, though, the odds don't bode well for Lackey.
Andre Ethier
MLB Seasons: 12
Career WAR: 23.9
Career Earnings: $115M
Ethier was always a long shot to land a contract after leg and back injuries limited him to just 38 games over the last two seasons. The 35-year-old has been adamant that he wishes to extend his career and believes he can still contribute: "You fight so hard to keep this uniform on. You don’t know when the last day is going to be. I really feel it, I believe it, I can still step in and have a productive Major League at-bat." The two-time All-Star and one-time Gold Glove winner hit .294/.366/.486 with 14 home runs across 142 games in his last full season in 2015. He did appear in eight games during the 2017 postseason with the Dodgers, going 4-for-13 with one home run and three strikeouts.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
