That happened in the middle of a spending frenzy that saw teams like the Texas Rangers commit half a billion dollars in two players, while other stars like Max Scherzer and Robbie Ray also got plenty of cash.

So, what does that means for the teams like the Yankees or Red Sox who have yet to add major names to their rosters? And what’s going to happen with Carlos Correa and Kris Bryant in the meantime? Let’s find out.

MLB Free Agency: Several Teams Inquiring About Carlos Correa

Even though he can’t sign anywhere during the lockout, Carlos Correa still has plenty of offers on his table. According to Mark Berman of Fox 26, at least 5 ballclubs have offered him deals north of $30 million per year.

“According to MLB sources the agent for free-agent shortstop Carlos Correa has heard from the@Yankees,@RedSox,@Dodgers,@Cubsand@Bravesand was offered five years/$160 million by the Astros last month,” reported Berman.

MLB Rumors: Kris Bryant Drawing Plenty Of Interest

Kris Bryant is also gauging a lot of attention in the market. While no numbers have been discussed, it seems like multiple teams are going to engage in a bidding war for the former Cubs star, per Jon Heyman of MLB network.

“Mets, Angels and Padres are among many teams to have shown interest in star free agent Kris Bryant, whose marketing is now percolating, Mariners, Phillies, Rockies, Astros among others who have checked in,” tweeted Heyman.

MLB Lockout: What’s Next?

The lockout pretty much means that there can’t be any signings or even contact between the teams and the players until the lockout if lifted. Also, it means that the Winter Meetings that would take place between December 6-9 are now officially canceled.

Commissioner Rob Manfred published an open letter blaming the MLBPA of the lockout, claiming that the players’ demands of establishing a salary flor wouldhurt some teams’ ability to compete:

“Simply put, we believe that an offseason lockout is the best mechanism to protect the 2022 season. We hope that the lockout will jumpstart the negotiations and get us to an agreement that will allow the season to start on time. This defensive lockout was necessary because the Players Association’s vision for Major League Baseball would threaten the ability of most teams to be competitive. It’s simply not a viable option,” read the letter.

Well, I’m sure that there are plenty of business mogulf who have enough money to invest on MLB teams if the poor owners don’t have enough to spend in free agency. Whatever is the case, this situation is likely not going to change until next year.

And, even though the Cubs have fared pretty well this season and that they’re reportedly close to an agreement to extend both Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez, Bryant is still expected to head out the door.

That’s why the Washington Nationals are reportedly quite interested in making a run at Bryant, but there’s a condition that could prevent them from pulling the trigger, as per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.

Nationals Want Kris Bryant But Are Reluctant To Trade Top Prospects

“Nats are among many teams said interested in Kris Bryant but it’s uncertain if there’s a prospect match. Nats do not want to trade top pitching prospects Cavalli or Rutledge,” reported Heyman.

The Washington Nationals are just a handful of games behind the New York Mets in the National League East and want to make a late push the same way they did a couple of years ago, and this move would certainly point them in the right direction.

Bryant would join former teammates Jon Lester and Kyle Schwarber while giving the Nationals another solid slugger. As of now, he’s got 16 home runs with 46 RBIs and a batting average of .271, so it’s unsurprising to see multiple teams interested in his services.

The Nats have enough prospects and assets to pull the trigger on this deal and the Cubs know that they need to get something out of him before he walks out for free. But whether Washington decide to give up on its young talent not will most likely depend on how they fare this next week.

That’s why Bryant has been a trade candidate for so long, with the New York Mets reportedly trying to acquire his services on multiple occasions. Also, him being one of the best third basemen in Major League Baseball, he’d have no shortage of suitors in the open market.

Then again, Bryant’s most recent statement has people wondering whether he’s actually bound to leave Wrigley Field or not, as he doesn’t seem completely sold on the idea of playing for another club.

Kris Bryant Says This May Not Be His Last Year With The Chicago Cubs

“I’m not looking at it as my last year (as a Cub). Who knows what year it could be? I could have 10 more years here. Who knows? I could come back as a coach. I could live in Chicago. I don’t know,” the third baseman told Patrick Mooney of The Athletic.

This comes as a bit of a surprise as Bryant even tried to get out of his contract a year early. He was reportedly quite disgruntled with the team and wanted to force his way out of the Windy City, so this is a bit of a change of mind.

There’s no denying the 29-year-old talents and some speculate that the Chicago Cubs are closer to rebuilding than to competing, so maybe this is just some leverage to upper his value in trade talks.

We can’t know for sure what’s going to happen between Kris Bryant and the Cubs but as of now, we wouldn’t put our money on him changing teams, at least until the end of the 2021 season.

The Cubs forced Bryant to spend an extra day in the minors to keep him for an extra year and preventing him from hitting free agency. That didn’t sit well with him and he’s been trying to get out of Wrigley Field ever since.

Luckily for him, the New York Mets look more than willing to put an end to his misery and have reportedly reached out to the Cubs again to try and get a deal done before the start of the MLB season.

Mets And Cubs Re-Engaged In Trade Talks For Kris Bryant

According to a report by Andy Martino of SNY, the Mets could try and move J.D Davis, Jeurys Familia, and Dellis Betances in a return for the 29-year-old infielder, although the Cubs could still try and hold on to him until the trade deadline:

“We have consistently heard that the Mets like the years of team control remaining on J.D. Davis, especially after trading two young infielders (…), they’ve never considered Davis completely untouchable in the right situation. The Cubs have previously expressed interest in trading for Davis,” the report started.

“The Mets have also been pursuing pitching and trying to find takers for the contracts of Jeurys Familia and Dellin Betances. They could allocate those dollars toward starting pitching and/or Bryant,” Martino added.

“It’s unclear how likely a trade is. (…) Chicago is more likely to hold on to Bryant until the July 31 trade deadline unless they were blown away by an offer,” the story concluded.

The New York Mets have struck out in almost every target they had for this offseason except for Francisco Lindor, so expect them to be quite aggressive in the trade market to try and land a superstar that can turn them into instant contenders.