One of the "gifts" of the Free Agent Era is the star player entering the final year of his contract ...

162 games, with the possibility of 19 more before a champion is crowned.  Games 6 days a week - on occasion two in a day.  

Hours at the ballpark when you're at home; hours on airplanes, buses & hotels when you're on the road.  

Day after day after day spent (largely) with the same group of guys.

It can get on your nerves.  And often does.  Which is why so many organizations worry about "chemistry."

Back when the Reserve Clause ruled, players knew they weren't going anywhere unless they were traded or released.  Which made "chemistry" easy - you kept useful players with good chemistry, you tried to 'manage' useful players who weren't so hot on chemistry ... and you got rid of bad chemistry guys.

No more.

With the advent of Free Agency,"next year" began to intrude into the chemistry of "this year" - how much does knowing Tom X will be playing somewhere else next year affect your going to battle with him this year?  How do you manage the intrusion?  Can you?

We all know what the options are ....

And they would be?????

My two cents:

20/20 hindsight says the Twins should've traded Torii Hunter before the 2007 season for two reasons:

First, the Twins organization isn't used to star players coming & going via free agency, with the result that "star player going elsewhere next year" will have more of a a day-to-day impact on chemistry than it would for, say, the Yankees.

Second, Torii wasn't the type who would play out his free agent year quietly to avoid being a distraction.  

Combine a player who will talk (constantly) about his contract status with an organization where the players aren't used to (and therefore good at) blocking it out & you get a sour clubhouse.

Comments?