[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by Lex Luthor

If the Royals keep enough of a core to keep the fans interested, they'll cash in on much better TV contract after the 2019 season. For that reason, I think this makes perfect sense from a business perspective.

That has been disproven. The TV contract has virtually nothing to do with the quality of the team.

https://www.royalsreview.com/2017/12...ion-to-rebuild

According to Kansas City Star columnist Sam Mellinger, who briefly talked about the issue a few weeks ago on The Border Patrol on 810 WHB, the TV deal has little impact on the direction of the team.

“I’m told by people on both sides that - believe it or not - what the team looks like in that off-season that they do the deal does not have that much of an impact on what the TV contract ends up being.”

A franchise rebuild has not hurt the negotiating position of other clubs. The Houston Astros were coming off a 92-loss season in 2014, breaking a string of three consecutive 100-loss seasons. That did not prevent them from signing a deal with Root Sports Southwest that fall, a new deal that would generate $80 million per year for the club.

And they are not alone. The 2011 Padres had their third losing season in four years and traded away their best pitcher, Mat Latos. Despite an unclear future, by the next spring the team signed a 20-year deal with Fox Sports that doubled their annual TV revenue to $30 million per year, and included a 20% equity stake. The Cincinnati Reds signed a 15-year TV deal with Fox Sports Ohio in October of 2016 after trading away veterans like Johnny Cueto, Jay Bruce, and Todd Frazier and losing 90 games for the second straight year. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it was reportedly a “nice increase” over the $30 million per year the team was previously getting, and included an ownership stake.

The Phillies signed a 25-year, $2.5 billion television deal in 2014, well after the team had been a contender, and the midst of a rebuild that still has not paid off. The Diamondbacks signed a 20-year deal worth more than $1.5 billion in 2015 coming off a 98-loss season. The Mariners signed a 17-year, $2 billion deal in 2013, after five straight losing seasons and over a decade without a playoff appearance.