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Gennett still jobless after not finding 'respectful' offer in free agency

Dylan Buell / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Free-agent second baseman Scooter Gennett is still looking for a deal worthy of his services.

The 30-year-old, one-time All-Star said he received offers to play in 2020 but nothing good enough to keep him away from his loved ones for most of the year.

"You're 220 days away from your family. Away from the things that really matter in life, and if you can't give me enough incentive to strap it on for that much time, it turns into a sacrifice. A 220-day sacrifice," Gennett told Doug Fernandes of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

"(Teams) didn't come anywhere near what I thought was respectful and what I thought is right. They made the decision pretty easy for me."

Gennett had a rough year in 2019, hitting just .226/.245/.323, which he said was the result of him trying to fight through a groin injury.

Because of this, the infielder said the best offer he received was for $1.5 million in base salary with a chance to earn another $500,000 in incentives. He refused the deal after making $9.775 million in 2019.

During the two seasons prior, Gennett was one of the top hitting second baseman in the league. He crushed a combined 50 home runs and added 189 RBIs for the Reds, but doesn't believe teams were looking at those numbers when considering him in free agency.

"I'm one of the top-five hitting second basemen in baseball and I know that and that's what makes it tough," he explained.

With baseball on hold, Gennett added he's mostly taking it easy but is staying in baseball shape in case an offer he likes does come around. Until then, he'll just wait for the phone to ring.

"They got my number," he said of teams who want to get in touch with him.

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