MLB Salary Cap?

DAdams91982

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Just wondering your take on implementing a MLB salary cap. Donald Fehr's legacy is about to expire I believe in 2010. The overpaid agreement of the players union from the strike. When that does, talks will be on the table about player salary. Do you want to see a salary cap?

What about paying for players over slot in the draft? I personally want to see slot enforced instead of otherwise.
 
TimberLakers

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There should definitely be a max salary for rookies and first contracts... I think the NBA system is great for that.

The Strautsberg saga is rediculous. A 50MM bonus for a kid that has yet to even throw a minor league pitch is a joke.

The salary cap would be great for the fans, but bad for baseball revenues - I can't see it happening. The industry of 300 dollar tickets, huge stadiums, lux boxes has made it economically impossible to start capping players to enrich owners.
 

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As a Jays fan. The only way I see them ever having a chance of being competitive, is either a salary cap, or absolutely tanking it like Tampa did for so many years to get so good draft picks, and riding that wave while you can afford it.

Very frustrating, cause the Jays of the last couple of years, could have been playoff bound in most other divisions in the league.
 
DAdams91982

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There should definitely be a max salary for rookies and first contracts... I think the NBA system is great for that.

The Strautsberg saga is rediculous. A 50MM bonus for a kid that has yet to even throw a minor league pitch is a joke.

The salary cap would be great for the fans, but bad for baseball revenues - I can't see it happening. The industry of 300 dollar tickets, huge stadiums, lux boxes has made it economically impossible to start capping players to enrich owners.
Personally i would like to see some of the savings past on to the fan. For ****s sake man... $300 tickets... that is insane. I can get a fat ass party room with all the free **** I want including alcohol to a Blues (Hockey) game for $50 a head. I wanted a green cardinals ringer tee, and you know how much the MLB authorized version cost? $40, for a tee shirt. I think the greedy players, and ridiculous agents like Scott Boras is making baseball a upper class game. A far cry from the basis of baseball. That and I am tired of seeing clubs like the yanks trying to buy a world series. This is why I am going back and forth, i dont care to enrich the owners, i want to see the fans taken care of, instead of lining more pockets.
 
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Personally i would like to see some of the savings past on to the fan. For ****s sake man... $300 tickets... that is insane. I can get a fat ass party room with all the free **** I want including alcohol to a Blues (Hockey) game for $50 a head. I wanted a green cardinals ringer tee, and you know how much the MLB authorized version cost? $40, for a tee shirt. I think the greedy players, and ridiculous agents like Scott Boras is making baseball a upper class game. A far cry from the basis of baseball. That and I am tired of seeing clubs like the yanks trying to buy a world series. This is why I am going back and forth, i dont care to enrich the owners, i want to see the fans taken care of, instead of lining more pockets.
That's the only way I would support a cap... but the problem is - if the revenues are down from ticket sales - and that exceeds the savings of player salaries - its a net loss for the owners of teams... I guess we can assume that TV revenue is static.

Then who covers the bond payments on these billion dollar stadiums?

Also, conversely... there is a revenue share agreement in place. I would argue that the owners of the teams that take their revenue share and pocket it whilst depositing a sub-par product on the field year after year are hurting the game as bad or worse than the large market teams like the Yankees (also insert Phillies, Red Sox, Tigers, Dodgers, both Chi-Town)... Teams like Pittsburgh, San Diego, etc.
 
DAdams91982

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That's the only way I would support a cap... but the problem is - if the revenues are down from ticket sales - and that exceeds the savings of player salaries - its a net loss for the owners of teams... I guess we can assume that TV revenue is static.

Then who covers the bond payments on these billion dollar stadiums?

Also, conversely... there is a revenue share agreement in place. I would argue that the owners of the teams that take their revenue share and pocket it whilst depositing a sub-par product on the field year after year are hurting the game as bad or worse than the large market teams like the Yankees (also insert Phillies, Red Sox, Tigers, Dodgers, both Chi-Town)... Teams like Pittsburgh, San Diego, etc.
The reduction in payment of tickets and players can be made on a sliding scale. Meaning the money is still left for the stadiums (Which are usually bought on tax dollars), still line owners pockets.

The revenue from TV and merchandise should remain static, if not increase due to money being freed up from tickets sales... I wouldnt feel bad about buying my daughter a new Cards shirt if I am not paying $150 for my 3 person family to go to the game.

Like I said.. people like Boras are the ones twisting the balls. Does A-Rod REALLY deserver $25MM for a half year?
 
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The reduction in payment of tickets and players can be made on a sliding scale. Meaning the money is still left for the stadiums (Which are usually bought on tax dollars), still line owners pockets.

The revenue from TV and merchandise should remain static, if not increase due to money being freed up from tickets sales... I wouldnt feel bad about buying my daughter a new Cards shirt if I am not paying $150 for my 3 person family to go to the game.

Like I said.. people like Boras are the ones twisting the balls. Does A-Rod REALLY deserver $25MM for a half year?
I think we are generally on the same page... Stadiums (to my knowledge) are usually financed with tax dollars i.e. tax abatement or tax deferred construction bonds, or delicately subsidized. Teams still have to either lease the property, or pay the bond coupons from year to year...

The transition from a uncapped to a capped team limit would be a nightmare. It would likely have special rules for a 5 year transition. I'm not totally against it, but the cap would need to be liberal.
 
BUCKNUTS

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I'm torn about a salary cap in baseball. Part of me says that it's the only way small market teams can compete on a regular basis, part of me says if the owners of the Stankees and Red Socks are willing to spend money on players they need then as a fan of that team you gotta love it. Some owners are in it strictly to make money, others want to win championships. I am a lifelong Tigers fan and we have picked up some good young talent by over paying for our slot so selfishly I do not want that salary structure enforced. I go to several games at Comerica every year with friends and family and it is ridiculous how they get you coming and going, everything is so expensive the tickets, parking, refreshments, souvenirs are all over-priced which keeps me from going more often. What about revenue sharing ala the NFL?
 
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Revenue share is already in place.... Good post though. You guys really got hosed with the Willis trade.
 
BUCKNUTS

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Revenue share is already in place.... Good post though. You guys really got hosed with the Willis trade.
A form of revenue sharing but it's not quite the socialist system the NFL has in place. It's probably a terrible idea to many owners would stick the extra money in their pockets and their teams would still stink. Yeah Willis has been a disaster in Detroit, what I can't understand is how did the Tigers brass not see it coming Willis' numbers had been on the decline for 2 full seasons prior to the trade. Cabrera is a beast though without him our next best hitter is hitting a robust .265. Ordonez needs to get back on the juice, Polanco to.
 
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God, the Ordonez juicelessness is so obvious... Along with Guerrero, Andruw, Francouer... The list goes on.

Love Miguel though... special player. How sick could the Marlins have been with unlimited spending power...
 
BUCKNUTS

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God, the Ordonez juicelessness is so obvious... Along with Guerrero, Andruw, Francouer... The list goes on.

Love Miguel though... special player. How sick could the Marlins have been with unlimited spending power...
The Marlins would be so good if they could afford to keep the players they develop. It's pathetic when you see Marlins highlights on espn and there is NOBODY at their games. It's sad, I say move them but to where?
 
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The Marlins would be so good if they could afford to keep the players they develop. It's pathetic when you see Marlins highlights on espn and there is NOBODY at their games. It's sad, I say move them but to where?
Yeah, its tough... Florida in general just has sh*t baseball fans. Look at Tampa, they can't get any love either and they almost won it all last year.

Miami is a huge market - they love Basketball and Football...
 
BUCKNUTS

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Yeah, its tough... Florida in general just has sh*t baseball fans. Look at Tampa, they can't get any love either and they almost won it all last year.

Miami is a huge market - they love Basketball and Football...
Dude the Dolphins can't even sell out half the time, Miami is not a good sports town.
 
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Exceptions being Miami Heat, and FSU / MIAMI College Football.
Oh yeah I think college football is huge there maybe more so than any other sport although I don't have a clue how the Heat draws. Speaking of the Heat, when I think that my Pistons passed on D. Wade to draft Darco I could scream. What a joke!
 
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Oh yeah I think college football is huge there maybe more so than any other sport although I don't have a clue how the Heat draws. Speaking of the Heat, when I think that my Pistons passed on D. Wade to draft Darco I could scream. What a joke!
Darko was a bust... I can see why they made the move at the time though. They were deep at the Guard position, and already contenders... Hindsight is 20/20 I guess. I'm sure they wouldn't make the same decision w/ a crystal ball...
 
BUCKNUTS

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Darko was a bust... I can see why they made the move at the time though. They were deep at the Guard position, and already contenders... Hindsight is 20/20 I guess. I'm sure they wouldn't make the same decision w/ a crystal ball...
I know but as a fan it's hard not to look back and wonder because they passed on Carmello also, it's painful.
 
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I know but as a fan it's hard not to look back and wonder because they passed on Carmello also, it's painful.
Portland coulda had Jordan... Charlotte traded Kobe for Divac... It happens to everyone... But I do feel for ya.
 
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Also... just to note... the 2003 draft was so sick. Multiple franchise type players...

LBJ, Wade, Bosh, Mello...

Then a bunch of really great support players too...

Barbosa, Howard, Diaw, Pietrus, Kaman, Heinrich...

You're right. Detroit f*cked up massively. Only team to draft in the top 5, that no longer has their player. The other 4 all lead their team in scoring, 1 won a championship, 2 have been on the cusp.
 
BUCKNUTS

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Also... just to note... the 2003 draft was so sick. Multiple franchise type players...

LBJ, Wade, Bosh, Mello...

Then a bunch of really great support players too...

Barbosa, Howard, Diaw, Pietrus, Kaman, Heinrich...

You're right. Detroit f*cked up massively. Only team to draft in the top 5, that no longer has their player. The other 4 all lead their team in scoring, 1 won a championship, 2 have been on the cusp.
To me it seems that the teams that draft based on need as opposed to taking the best player available are the ones who most often get burned. Back to the point of the thread, I think the salary cap has been a good thing for the NHL teams like the Penguins normally lose players like Malkin and Crosby, but with the way it's structured now they have a shot at keeping them instead of them ending up in New York or Detroit. Who knows maybe the Marlins could keep some of their home grown talent if there was a similar structure in place in MLB. But would that compel people to leave the beach and come to a game?
 

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