Free agents are a big part of any sport; they can easily be the missing piece to any teams puzzle and can be the difference between a good team and a great team. However, building a team around free agency i.e. signing all the biggest names, isn’t beneficial, in fact it has been a failure for teams who have recently attempted building a championship team with free agents.
One of the biggest free agents last season was first baseman Albert Pujols, who signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and played his first season with the team in 2012. Pujols switched leagues as he played with the St. Louis Cardinals before joining the Angels. He was expected to be a superstar in Anaheim and have an amazing season; instead he had a slow start and finished the season with a .285 average and 30 homeruns. While these numbers are impressive they aren’t as good as his career numbers.
Last offseason, the Angels also signed starting pitcher C.J. Wilson who didn’t live up to his hype as he finished the season with a 13-10 record and a 3.83 ERA. Wilson had pitched for the Texas Rangers prior to being signed by the Angels.
Both players were given huge contracts and were expected to be big contributors to a team expected to contend for the playoffs and make the postseason in 2012. Instead, their numbers weren’t extraordinary and the Angels finished the season in third place with a record of 89-73 (five games back of the AL West Champion Oakland A’s). The Angels signed two of the biggest names in free agency, but still missed out on the postseason.
The Angels prepare for 2013 by adding a power hitter via free agency by signing outfielder Josh Hamilton. Can he be the missing piece to the Angels puzzle or is he just another overpaid free agent who will have a down year with a new team? Time will soon tell.
The Los Angeles Dodgers also added a lot of free agents to their team for 2012. None as big of names as Pujols, or Wilson, but free agents nonetheless. They added pitcher Chris Capuano, second baseman Mark Ellis, outfielder Jerry Hairston Jr., pitcher Aaron Harang, infielder Adam Kennedy, and pitcher Jamey Wright.
Despite putting out the money to add such players, the Dodgers finished 2012 with an 86-76 record in second place, eight games behind the NL West Champion San Francisco Giants.
Now take a look at the Boston Red Sox. Last season was terrible for the Sox as they finished in last place of the AL East with a record of 69-93. For the 2012 season, they signed a few free agents such as outfielder Cody Ross, third baseman Nick Punto, and catcher Kelly Shoppach. Due to their lack of success in 2012, the Red Sox cleaned house during the season and have had a very busy offseason as they prepare for 2013.
The biggest test of whether or not building around free agency is beneficial will be the 2013 Red Sox as they are a team full of big name free agents. This offseason they added outfielder Jonny Gomes, shortstop Stephen Drew, outfielder Shane Victorino, pitcher Ryan Dempster, first baseman/catcher Mike Napoli, catcher David Ross, and pitcher Koji Uehara. It’s clear Boston doesn’t want to lose, but is signing all the top free agents the answer?
So, what attributes to these teams lack of success? For one, you can’t buy heart. Team chemistry is just as important as the play on the field. If teammates don’t get along or have the same drive and motivation that team won’t be as successful as a team that has not only talent, but gels and has good chemistry. The fact that big name free agents sign such multiyear, multimillion dollar contracts also puts added pressure on them because now they really have to show they are worth the paycheck; unfortunately a lot of players’ numbers suffer after signing big contracts. As of late, the teams that build around free agency by signing the biggest names don’t have immediate success.