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MLB Free Agency About to Explode as Baseball Returns

What a difference a night makes. Last night it appeared that another week of regular season games would be canceled after Major League Baseball and the Players Union couldn’t agree…

ST LOUIS, MO – MAY 06: Kevin Pillar #11, Michael Conforto #30 and Albert Almora Jr. #4 of the New York Mets celebrate after beating the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on May 6, 2021 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) *** Local Captions *** Albert Almora Jr.;Michael Conforto;Kevin Pillar

What a difference a night makes. Last night it appeared that another week of regular season games would be canceled after Major League Baseball and the Players Union couldn't agree to a deal all because of the International Draft.

Give credit to both sides for sticking with it and finally coming to terms on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement that will see the CBT (collective Bargaining Tax) threshold start at $230 million this year, and minimum salaries going up from $570,500 to $700,000 this year for players with three years minimum service time. The international draft? That was kicked down the road to July 25 when it will be reevaluated by then.

The deal was not without a little drama as reports early Thursday indicated that a couple of Mets players were worried about the CBT hindering Steve Cohen's ability to spend, but at the end of the day, everyone wanted to get this deal done.

Now the fun part begins: free agency.

There are a number of key free agents available including: third baseman/outfielder Kris Bryant; first baseman Freddie Freeman; left handed starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw; left handed starting pitcher Carlos Rondon; outfielder Nick Castellanos; outfielder Michael Conforto; short stop Carlos Correa, and shortstop Trevor Story to name a few.

The Yankees and Mets could be very busy in the next few hours as free agency re-opens, and spring training officially begins on Sunday.

The Yankees need answers at short stop and first base. There is chance Freeman or Correa could find themselves in the Bronx. They have been linked to the Yankees before the lockout started.

The Mets have been linked to just about everyone. But the names most linked to them were Bryant, who can play multiple positions, and, oddly enough, Freeman -- who could end up in a DH/1B platoon with Pete Alonso.

What will happen? Get your popcorn people!

Michael Cohen is the News and Sports Director at Fox Sports Radio New Jersey and Magic 98.3 FM, as well as a radio production assistant with Fox and Magic in New Jersey. He started his career in Somerset in 2018 initially as a news fill-in at WCTC 1450 AM, and soon moved up to higher responsibilities in the ensuing years, assuming News & Sports Director title in 2021Prior to his time with Fox Sports New Jersey, Michael was play-by-play voice for New Jersey Jackals baseball, and as well as play-by-play and color for the College of Staten Island basketball (men and women), softball and baseball. Michael began his career as a news and sportswriter with the Jersey Journal of Hudson County.