Boras criticizes MLB: 'The system is in competitive hibernation'

Super agent Scott Boras hasn't been shy in recent years when it comes to condemning Major League Baseball's slow free-agency period, and he continued to criticize the process at the general manager meetings Wednesday.

"The system is in competitive hibernation," Boras told reporters, according to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. "We need to have competitive rewards."

Boras, whose clients include free agents Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon, and Mike Moustakas, said the solution for the lack of urgency across the league is to mandate competition in the next collective bargaining agreement, according to Speier.

"When you go to the zoo and half of the bears are asleep, you're not able to enjoy the zoo," Boras said, according to Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic.

Boras reportedly previously indicated that Cole is unlikely to sign before the new year, signaling that he's in no rush to push his clients into unfavorable contracts. However, he refuted that rumor Wednesday, saying "it's completely inaccurate," according to Chandler Rome of The Houston Chronicle.

"We have a system that has never properly evaluated the premium player," Boras added, according to Speier. "The system is askew."

No multi-year deals have been signed since free agency opened after the World Series. The most lucrative contract thus far was Adam Wainwright's one-year, $5-million deal to remain with the St. Louis Cardinals.