Two weeks ago, Silva compiled a list of the top 100 free agents for 2012. Dubbed the “Hot 100,” a full 26 of them continue to get a chilly reception 13 days after the market opened.
That’s right, only 74 of the top free agents have signed new deals. The rest continue to look for work, well after the big money stopped flowing.
The process has now shifted into full-blown desperation mode for the players. No one is going to break the bank. As a result, many players will be content to do a one-year deal, try to have a big year, and then return to the market in 2013 with a goal of getting a seat at the million-dollar table before the music stops.