Max Caster wants AEW to stop hiring free agents

Max Caster believes AEW has the best roster in professional wrestling. Therefore, he would prefer AEW to stop hiring free agents at a rapid rate. 

In a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, he discussed how each new hire potentially takes TV time away from another star on the roster.

"Every single free agent that comes up in professional wrestling, fans want to go, ‘They’d be great in AEW,’" Caster said. "We only have so much TV time. Some of that needs to go to me. I don’t want all of it. I’m not selfish, but I’m the best. But if people start calling for Shelton Benjamin or Motor City Machine Guns or whoever, it doesn’t matter, and not to single anyone out. My sentiment is, why would we want them? We already have the best roster, you already have the best wrestler alive."

AEW recently signed Will Ospreay, Mercedes Mone and Kazuchika Okada to its roster. All three are huge names within the wrestling world. Ospreay has quickly risen toward the top of AEW's rankings and looks like the future face of the company. 

However, like Caster's comments, AEW's roster has often been criticized for being bloated.

There is already a significant amount of talent on AEW's payroll that gets little to no air time. Some big-name additions, such as Jay White, have recently anchored "Rampage," AEW's smallest and least popular show. Interestingly, White was supposed to become a major player in the company and become one of the biggest names they had to offer.

In early 2022, Caster and "The Acclaimed" were some of the hottest properties in professional wrestling. They were a huge draw with fans and a major driver in merchandise sales. Limited TV time and some poor storylines, though, have seen their angle go cold. Now, they're limited to mid-card matches and haven't been in the main tag team scene for a while. 

Perhaps if AEW president Tony Khan implemented a slight hiring freeze and only pursued major roster additions, AEW's homegrown talent would have more opportunities to shine. As contracts begin to expire, it would be wise for Khan to streamline his roster. 

There is enough talent to carry three shows. Now, it's about putting that talent in a position to succeed. If AEW can begin to develop its own stars, it will continue to be a desirable destination for major free agents moving forward.