When MLB free agency began, as I was comparing notes with agents and executives, a popular discussion was how many players would sign big deals before the collective bargaining agreement expired on Dec. 1. The common opinion was that only a couple of guys would sign for $75 million or more -- and some legitimately thought zero would. They also expected slower-than-usual overall volume.
All of that turned out to be ... wildly wrong!
Now we're in the midst of a lockout that will likely freeze the market for months, but before Dec.