Has economy set bar for baseball free agent contracts?

December 9, 5:05 PMTampa Bay Sports ExaminerTed Fleming

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The three year / $45 million contracts Billy Wagner and B.J. Ryan signed in November, 2005 seem obscene by comparison to the deal Francisco Rodriguez just inked with the Mets.

At that time, Wagner turned 35 in the first year with New York and Ryan had just one double-digit save season under his belt with the Orioles when their bank accounts exploded.

K-Rod is relatively young (27 in January) and over the last five seasons protected 206 wins for the Angels. His new deal pays out a bit over $13 million per and value to value, GM Omar Minaya gets more bang for his buck this time around than he did three years earlier.

With Frankie one of the most sought-after free agents on the market, it appears there is a bit of financial restraint by owners. You just hope the players’ union doesn’t start to scream the big “C” word – collusion.

It’s not like the Mets cannot afford to dole out the money as they are moving into a new stadium, have their own network and play in the top sports market in the world, it sends a clear message the state of the economy will dictate the market value especially in places outside the Big Apple or Boston, etc.

Large market teams will not feel much of a pinch in attendance, although what is spent inside the stadiums is uncertain, those like the Rays, Twins, Royals, Athletics and others have to be very concerned on all fronts. Keeping the bottom line manageable will be paramount while trying to show fans they are trying to compete.

If you don’t think the economy is having an impact, check out how many free agents have inked lucrative contracts thus far. Some players are begging for teams to get into bidding wars in an attempt to drive prices up and ownership isn’t biting – at least not yet.

To say baseball’s winter has been dull is understating it.

While some teams will still go off the reservation with offers, C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixiera are just two examples, the low first and second tier players won’t be dreaming of a green Christmas.

Maybe that’s a good thing because fans deserve a break when it comes to the rising cost of taking in a game.