EXPLAINER: Why are baseball teams spending so much money?

By RONALD BLUM and JAY COHEN
AP Baseball Writers

It has been an epic holiday season already for several major league teams and players a year after baseball trudged through an ugly labor dispute. Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa and Trea Turner combined for almost $1 billion in player contracts. Xander Bogaerts, Jacob deGrom, Dansby Swanson, Carlos Rodón, Brandon Nimmo and Willson Contreras added up to another billion. Major League Baseball’s March labor deal with the players’ union is a major engine behind the spending, along with a deep group of free agent options.