The MLB lockout thread

[jd1020]

Originally Posted by Ocotillo

The owners already use the competitive balance tax as a reason not to spend. Last year the Phillies, Yankees, Mets, Red Sox and Astros had their payrolls in the $205-209.99 million range, just short of the $210 million competitive balance tax. Only the Dodgers and the Padres went over.

Look at Carlos Correa. In a non-competitive balance tax world, he'd probably have 4-5 teams legitimately interested in him. But with the CBT, it kind of gets narrowed down to 1 or 2 teams. Nobody even knows where he might end up. What a disgrace. He was the best defensive SS in baseball last year.

Before the outlier spending spree of November 2021, the last two non-COVID free agent markets were just so stagnant. Unlike the NFL where the big names sign within hours, it's been stale to follow MLB free agency and wait for Bryce Harper to sign in late February. Teams that should be putting bids on Harper, didn't because of the CBT.

Look at Carlos Correa in a year where there aren't 4 or 5 other options for a top tier SS. The guy probably has 3-4 teams legitimately interested in him as it sits with all but 1 of the other options signing. His market is already small because of the money he's going to get but its even smaller this year because a team like the Rangers could go sign Semien and Seager, or the Tigers signing Baez, or whoever is going to sign Story.

And like I said, the owners already don't spend so putting in a hard cap is giving them exactly what they want. Theres a handful of teams that go above the CBT but no one continuously goes over it every year because of the compounding penalties for doing so.

Every MLB franchise is worth over a billion dollars. You think teams like Royals can't put more money into their roster annually? What the **** does a hard cap do to balance the playing field? Nothing. Theres nothing even about the playing field. Every team isn't working with the same market. Every team isn't working with the same geographic location. Every team isn't working with owners that want to put a little more investment into their company. I dont follow NHL, but anyone saying that baseball doesn't have more parity than sports with a salary cap like the NFL and NBA, probably the NHL too but I dont know, are ****ing dumb. The answer isn't a salary cap and its why the MLBPA isn't fighting for one.