The cold free agent market has led to some hot takes

The Major League Baseball Players Association issued a statement Sunday saying that reports of the players boycotting spring training are false and they've not recommended such plans.

But the fact that the MLBPA was inclined to even issue a statement is the latest sign that these are turbulent times in the sport. The players' side is stirred up about both the lack of free agent movement and the commissioner's desire to implement pace of play rules. This has gotten a bit contentious at a time when it seems the game may be as financially healthy as ever.

This also comes at a time when a player blamed his own union for some of the current player frustrations. He thinks they made mistakes in negotiating the latest collective bargaining agreement.

That player is Brandon Moss of the Oakland Athletics. He said: "What we've done is we've incentivized owners and we've incentivized teams to say, 'We don't want to meet that price, it costs us too much to meet that price. It costs us draft picks. It costs us international signing money. It costs us all these different things.' ... What we have done is we've given the owners and teams and franchises an excuse to not pay top free agents."

Meanwhile, a prominent player agent, Brodie Van Wagenen, issued a statement on Thursday that got a lot of attention. It read in part, "The behavior of Owners in this year's free agent market has changed dramatically. It feels coordinated, rightly or wrongly. ... Bottom line, the players are upset. No, they are outraged. Players in the midst of long-term contracts are as frustrated as those still seeking employment. Their voices are getting louder and they are uniting in a way not seen since 1994. I would suggest that testing the will of 1,200 alpha males at the pinnacle of their profession is not a good strategy for 30 men who are bound by a much smaller fraternity."

He went on to state that, "There is a rising tide among players for radical change. A fight is brewing."

While the owners' side surely is doing pretty well in baseball, the agent may lose his argument in the court of public opinion. It will be hard to get much sympathy for players who make so much money. Even in a slow free agent market, we've heard reports of big money offered to Eric Hosmer and J.D. Martinez, and the dollars being discussed for Manny Machado and Bryce Harper a year from now are astronomical.

We are getting way, way ahead of ourselves with any talk of strikes, boycotts or lockouts, but baseball has had a long run of labor peace and there is absolutely no reason for any of that to change now. Or anytime soon or even in the years ahead, for that matter.

The next labor stoppage in baseball - if there even is one - would be devastating for the sport, in my humble opinion. You can't just assume the fans will come back. It's too easy these days to sit on the couch and enjoy the big screen HD televisions without having to pay anything or be concerned with parking and/or concessions. All parties here need to not forget this part. Don't test the fans on this one.

Sports Illustrated's brilliant Tom Verducci wrote this column that is well worth your time where he makes some very well thought-out points, including this one: "Here's the problem that players and especially agents have trouble accepting: they are working in a disrupted industry. A rise in intellect and information has fundamentally changed the economics of baseball, just as they have changed many industries. Corporate profits are up in a roaring economy while wages are stagnant? How familiar does that sound to many millions of Americans?"

Meanwhile, this summary from MLBTradeRumors.com is excellent, spelling out several of the issues and linking various tweets and stories providing more insight.

If you think collusion is at work here, that is fine. But also consider the confluence of events we've discussed before that has at least helped keep the free agent market moving at a snail's pace.

The luxury tax has kept some traditional big spenders like the Dodgers and Yankees on the sidelines this winter. Teams are now more reluctant than ever to hand out lengthy deals to players whose best years may be dwindling or behind them. Some teams are looking to rebuild and won't spend big on free agents right now. They've seen how well it worked for Houston and the Cubs, as both were hitting rock bottom in the standings not long ago. Some teams are waiting for next winter's very strong free agent class. Teams are now relying on younger - and, yes, less expensive - talent more than ever before. That is not collusion. That is a series of events that led to weeks of a frigid market that few, if any, could truly foresee.

Baseball is doing very well right now. It has millions of great and loyal fans. But the players and owners better not push them too far this time.