OT- Salary Caps In Baseball?

[kcthekid]

1st off, im not saying that its going to happen or it should happen
but i was wondering if MLB tired to do what the NBA does in terms of keeping payroll level. Big market teams have huge advantages over smaller market teams.

any thoughts?

All caps titles are completely unnecessary. - STJ

[wigglestrue]

I'd like it.

[SmallTownJournalist303]

I like the idea. I feel like hard salary caps bring a new aspect of strategy into the game, where not every star is going to go to whichever owner is willing to shell out the most money. That said, I don't think we'll be seeing one anytime soon in baseball.

[kcthekid]

when you got players like a-rod making more than whole teams
then you know you've gone too far
star players deserve more money but 100 million dollar contracts?
seriously...

[The_Hater]

MLB has tried to implement a salary cap in the past but the player's union was too strong (and Bud Selig too weak) to let it in. More recently, they settled for a team luxury tax instead. Of course the tax level is so high that only the Yankees are ever effected by it.

The entire thing is a joke but don't ever expect it to be corrected.

[OldNo7]

I like the idea. I feel like hard salary caps bring a new aspect of strategy into the game, where not every star is going to go to whichever owner is willing to shell out the most money. That said, I don't think we'll be seeing one anytime soon in baseball.

Agree on all points. Its not going to happen in the majors. Players and the Union will never, ever, agree to it. Neither will half the owners for that matter.

[Michael Bradley]

Major League Baseball and its owners are making far too much money, so there's really no urgency on anyone's part to start implementing a salary cap. That's not even mentioning that the players union, which is incredibly strong, won't allow it.

IMO, the main problem in baseball is not the lack of a salary cap, but the draft. The fact that star prospects can drop to the mid/late 1st round or even later (i.e. to the good teams) is an embarrassment to the game. If they want parity without a salary cap, then simply institute a fixed draft salary. That way the worst teams get the best prospects (increasing their chances for future improvement) and it will prevent the rich teams from going overslot for the star prospects that fall for financial reasons. Granted, that's not going to stop boneheads from picking Ricky Romero over Tulowitzki or Maybin, but at least it won't be a financially motivated decision.

[OldNo7]

IMO, the main problem in baseball is not the lack of a salary cap, but the draft. The fact that star prospects can drop to the mid/late 1st round or even later (i.e. to the good teams) is an embarrassment to the game. If they want parity without a salary cap, then simply institute a fixed draft salary. That way the worst teams get the best prospects (increasing their chances for future improvement) and it will prevent the rich teams from going overslot for the star prospects that fall for financial reasons. Granted, that's not going to stop boneheads from picking Ricky Romero over Tulowitzki or Maybin, but at least it won't be a financially motivated decision.

Great point about fixed draft salaries. Its something I've always hated as well - star prospects being picked in the 20's because they are represented by Scott Boras.

[asif9t9]

The two most successful sports are MLB and the NFL. One has no cap. The other is as strict as they come, and without guaranteed contracts.

I think in the NHL, we got screwed because we had the Yankee payroll. But as a small market team in baseball, sure, a salary cap of some sort would help.

OTOH, it probably would be good enough to go play in another division, where our $98M payroll could compete. With the Cdn $ where it is now, we have more going for us than say Cleveland.

Or, another option is expanded playoffs.

[Basketball Jesus]

MLB has tried to implement a salary cap in the past but the player's union was too strong (and Bud Selig too weak) to let it in..

The Players' Union stranglehold over baseball was a problem long before Selig's tenure. You can thank Marvin Miller and years of incompetent commissioners for the mess we're in today.Not that it's really a mess, mind you.


Michael Bradley's post is spot on about the draft being one of the biggest problems facing parity in baseball. Preventing major league teams from spending at the major league level just means that they'll be divesting known commodities and funneling that money into development and signings at the amateur level. So instead of teams like the Sox and Yankees cornering the market on available star talent via free agency, they'll be able to snatch their rights before they even get there. Which, ironically enough, is what they're doing right now.

The only way to "fix" the parity issue in baseball is to find owners that treat the team as just that: a baseball team. Cheap-ass owners looking to maximize profit without caring about the product on the field has led to once-proud franchises like the Royals and Pirates being relegated to perennial laughingstocks of the league. With very few exceptions, almost every team in the league can afford to spend above the league median payroll.

[Schad]

Major League Baseball and its owners are making far too much money, so there's really no urgency on anyone's part to start implementing a salary cap. That's not even mentioning that the players union, which is incredibly strong, won't allow it.

IMO, the main problem in baseball is not the lack of a salary cap, but the draft. The fact that star prospects can drop to the mid/late 1st round or even later (i.e. to the good teams) is an embarrassment to the game. If they want parity without a salary cap, then simply institute a fixed draft salary. That way the worst teams get the best prospects (increasing their chances for future improvement) and it will prevent the rich teams from going overslot for the star prospects that fall for financial reasons. Granted, that's not going to stop boneheads from picking Ricky Romero over Tulowitzki or Maybin, but at least it won't be a financially motivated decision.

Yep, I mentioned this is in the BP top 100 thread; not only do great prospects drop due to salary demands, but some high schoolers have taken to stating that they will go to college if they are not drafted by a certain team or teams...the Yankees were essentially able to sit on a 1st/2nd round talent in Dellin Betances for another six rounds because he had made it clear that he would play for no other team.

[Bleeding Green]

There already is a soft cap in baseball right now that everyone abides by except for the Yankees. I don't think we'll see anyone else go over it except maybe for a single season push at a championship. And I imagine even the Yankees will be slowly shedding payroll to get below it.

[evilRyu]

Speaking on improving on the draft system, what about signing latin players outright? I find it a bit unfair that the smaller market teams do not have the attractiveness of signing with the Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, etc... is there a way to combat that problem?

And completely agree about the salary structure of MLB.. Perhaps a way to battle this problem is to maybe think of expanding the playoffs to 8 teams in each league? This will give more competition, and can genereate more revenue as well....

[kcthekid]

Speaking on improving on the draft system, what about signing latin players outright? I find it a bit unfair that the smaller market teams do not have the attractiveness of signing with the Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, etc... is there a way to combat that problem?

And completely agree about the salary structure of MLB.. Perhaps a way to battle this problem is to maybe think of expanding the playoffs to 8 teams in each league? This will give more competition, and can genereate more revenue as well....

i agree, 8 teams play off would generate a huge buzz around the league
increase attendence and revenue, but baseball is based on traditon.
All these old people would be offended and have a stroke
i like the nba in terms of salary caps, nhl in terms of evolving the game and not being afraid to change it for the better.

[Schad]

And completely agree about the salary structure of MLB.. Perhaps a way to battle this problem is to maybe think of expanding the playoffs to 8 teams in each league? This will give more competition, and can genereate more revenue as well....

Unlike hockey or basketball, baseball is dependent on the weather; adding an extra two weeks to the schedule means either that the World Series begins around November 12th-16th, or that the regular season would have to open in mid-March. Not good options.

[SmallTownJournalist303]

Not that I'm necessarily for expanding the playoffs, but you could always shorten the regular season like many people want to do anyways.

[evilRyu]

Any reason why you're against the expansion of teams for playoffs? I guess it makes it less "special" to get in, but if you're a fan, why would you be against your team making it to the playoffs as the 6th or 7th seed?

[OldNo7]

I am for expanding playoffs to 8 teams each side and shortening the regular season. But you cant have one without the other, because you cant play the World Series in November. But they wouldnt cut back the regular season, because that would make virtually all single-season records untouchable.

[evilRyu]

I am for expanding playoffs to 8 teams each side and shortening the regular season. But you cant have one without the other, because you cant play the World Series in November. But they wouldnt cut back the regular season, because that would make virtually all single-season records untouchable.

Oh no doubt, if the playoffs were ever expanded, the season MUST be shortened.

Does this league have way too much history to consider changing a major rule like this?

Well since there isn't much days off between a playoff game, wouldn't an extra round be at most 1.5 weeks? In all likelihood, a #1 seed wouldn't need more than 6 games to take out a #8 seed..

But agree about the records being "untouchable".. not that some aren't in the first place

[SmallTownJournalist303]

Any reason why you're against the expansion of teams for playoffs? I guess it makes it less "special" to get in, but if you're a fan, why would you be against your team making it to the playoffs as the 6th or 7th seed?

I honestly don't know what side of the fence I'm on. On the one hand, I think expanding the playoffs would create more excitement around the league with more teams having a chance. On the other, like Nick mentioned, there's some serious issues with shortening the regular season, and with all the league's history I can't see them making such a drastic change.