Adam Wainwright Worried About Mid-Season Strike, Players Walking Out

Adam Wainwright is concerned that the cool Hot Stove this offseason could lead to a strike.

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright is worried that the cool Hot Stove this offseason could lead to a strike.

Wainwright spoke to InsideSTL.com on Friday and voiced his concerns over what could happen with the growing issues between players and management.

"Unless something changes, there’s going to be a strike. 100%," he said. "I'm just worried people are going to walk out midseason."

Players have grown frustrated during the offseason over the number of free agents that remain unsigned. Two of the biggest names left on the free agent market, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, have yet to ink deals despite meeting with several team owners. Both are reportedly seeking 10-year contracts worth around $300 million.

Wainwright doesn't think that's too big of a request considering the value Harper and Machado can bring to a team.

"Thirty owners need to be answering that because you have one of the best players in the game that needs a job and no one is signing him," he said. "You’ve got 30 owners who have a sabermetric box that will sign players when they were in that box. They don’t take any intangibles or anything else into play and that’s a sad thing.

"You have to realize that this is about winning," Wainwright added. "If Bryce Harper wants 10 years and he’s 26 years old, is anyone saying that he's going to have 10 MVPs? No but he might have three or four in there...He’s going to be a dynamic player. The same can be said about Manny Machado. These guys are superstar players."

Other top free agents waiting for deals include pitchers Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel. Several players have spoken out against the slow free agent market this winter, with Astros ace Justin Verlander recently tweeting that the "system is broken."

100 or so free agents left unsigned. System is broken. They blame “rebuilding” but that’s BS. You’re telling me you couldn’t sign Bryce or Manny for 10 years and go from there? Seems like a good place to start a rebuild to me. 26-36 is a great performance window too.

— Justin Verlander (@JustinVerlander) February 11, 2019

In January, Giants third baseman Evan Longoria shared his frustrations on Instagram about the number of remaining unsigned players, calling it a "shame."

"As players we need to stand strong for what we believe we are worth and continue to fight for the rights we have fought for time and time again," Longoria said.

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Players will be able to formally adress the situation in 2021 when the current collective bargaining agreement expires between the union and MLB.