Free Agents

So spring training is literally right around the corner. Pitchers and catchers report in just over a week. Why is it that there are over 70 free agents still remaining unsigned?
Let's be honest. The economy isn't in the best shape, and it affects baseball too. Some of these free agents, who are big name players like Ramirez, Dunn, and Sheets, want the money they are accusomed too, and it's just not out there. It's unfortunate in some circumstances. These guys have earned the right to get paid, but what are teams supposed to do? They can't spend money they don't have. There were 171 free agents coming into the off season. Having so many free agents on the market this close to spring training is unheard of.
The majority of them will be signed throughout the spring, due to injuries and teams still trying to fill needs. Many of them may have to settle for substantial paycuts though.
This offseason has been unlike any other in recent history, simply because of the economy. The guys who signed early are the ones who turned out to benefit. Middle relievers signed early and got around $4 mil a year, which is good for relief pitching. The Yankees of course dropped their bomb contracts, which I'm not even going to start on. The rest of the middle market teams are just trying to scrap together some veterans for minimal costs.
In another sense, I like that not every player is signing. The cheapest players are the ones that are coming out of the minors, and I love seeing young guys get a chance to play