The MLB lockout thread

[Ocotillo]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

A cap always comes with a floor. The players are opposed to any cap, even with a floor.

The players are perfectly happy with the current structure where big market teams get to keep their homegrown stars, while small market teams lose theirs, and have to tank for "windows" where they can actually win.

The players want even more competitive disparity via getting to free agency sooner and ending the luxury tax. Their answer seems to be to shame the "greedy" small market owners into spending more. And if that doesn't work? Oh well.

The players are looking out for their own interests. Good for them. But they might be short-sighted. What makes the players the most money right now might not work forever, if the game keeps bleeding fans due to tanking and lack of competitive balance. Without the fans there won't be any money to fight over, and they can all go back to playing for the love of the game.

The competitive balance tax is already working as a de facto salary tax. Only the Dodgers and Padres surpassed the luxury tax threshold in 2021 and the Padres were barely over. The Padres were always the poster child for small market teams.

Five teams -- Phillies, Yankees, Mets, Red Sox and Astros -- were within $5 million or less of the luxury tax threshold so obviously the penalties are stopping them from spending more. It's only one franchise running roughshod over the luxury tax threshold.

The Dodgers just lost homegrown star Corey Seager to the Rangers and because they're so high above the competitive balance tax, they are only being compensated a fourth round pick for him. It's not just the small market teams losing their stars. The Cubs and Nationals recently lost a bunch of homegrown stars and they're both $200 million payroll type teams. The Red Sox lost Mookie Betts and could very well lose Xander Bogaerts after 2022.

The players already dropped their request for five-year free agency. The reason why is because they knew the owners would have shut down the season over that issue.

You're contradicting yourself here. You make it sound like you want a floor but you accuse the players of shaming the greedy, small market owners into spending more. Personally, I think a team like the Orioles shouldn't throw money at a second-tier free agent. They should save their dollars to invest in Adley Ruschmann and Grayson Rodriguez long term. But if they have some agent like Scott Boras, it's not happening. I totally feel the pain of a small-market fan being a small-market fan myself who has been through too many fire sales.

The floor proposal wasn't taken seriously by the MLBPA because the luxury tax threshold was going to come down to $180 million.

I don't understand why you blame the players when the owners locked them out in the first place. The owners did this to themselves if you think back to the winters of 2018/19 and 2019/20. Ice frozen free agent markets with snail pace movement. They had this war coming to them.

But I will say this, I feel like the MLBPA has bent over backwards to cater to the needs of Scott Boras and the top 5% player when they're doing just fine even in the status quo CBA that the owners love. Juan Soto is going to get his $450 million.

The MLBPA should be fighting for the player that gets paid $10K a year in the minors, makes the majors for three years and then gets tossed to the side for a replacement minimum salary rookie.

I totally feel you though. Both parties should be growing the game, enhancing the product instead of engaging in the war that nobody cares about. There's a lot of diehards, not casual fans, turned off by this and are ready to jump ship.