MLB and players agree to new 5-year CBA

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by alnorth

It is not the 90's anymore. The Royals haven't made the playoffs since the early 2000's because their management sucked until perhaps recently. MLB has had more champions the last 10 years than the NFL despite having 2 fewer teams.

Every champion has been in the top 15 in payroll except for one, the Marlins.

The Marlins were almost immediately sold off piece by piece because the team couldn't afford the salary they did pay. Small Television market teams will never be on equal footing until there is a salary cap. It doesn't matter what rationalizations and BS excuses people try to make up.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Laz

Every champion has been in the top 15 in payroll except for one, the Marlins.

The Marlins were almost immediately sold off piece by piece because the team couldn't afford the salary they did pay. Small Television market teams will never be on equal footing until there is a salary cap. It doesn't matter what rationalizations and BS excuses people try to make up.

irrelevant self-selection bias.

If you are a world series contender, you are highly likely to have your payroll grown into top-15 before the big game. It takes a very fast youth movement to break that rule. If the Royals were to win in 2015 or 2016, they would likely have a top-15 payroll too.

Teams which do not have a top-15 payroll are either incomplete or have blown it up to start over.

[alnorth]

The time to make excuses for the Royals is over. They pulled in over $110MM in total revenue in 2010 and we know they are getting at least $25-30MM in revenue sharing, perhaps more. They spent over $70MM on payroll for garbage teams not that long ago. Their payroll is understandably low now, but there is no reason at all to expect them not to take the Minnesota route if it works out in a few years. (The twins have a top-10 payroll well over $100MM)

[evenfall]

Originally Posted by alnorth

(The twins have a top-10 payroll well over $100MM)

The Twins have big problems. They have a lot of salary tied up in players that can't stay healthy and they have a farm system that is mostly depleted. You can date the team's decline and the departure from the old success formula to the Santana trade, perhaps. They got away from what made them good. The Royals are better positioned for the future than the Twins.

Minnesota's recent GM change may signal a return to the old approach, but the Twins prove that their model still has to be executed perfectly. It's exceedingly difficult. Minnesota has had limited success in some ways, they have posted a lot of wins in recent years but they have been bounced in the divisional round five times in a row and have been swept the last 3 times in a row.

Oakland is often pointed at as another example, but they haven't been to the World Series since 1990.

This system is proven in the regular season, but it doesn't usually point to postseason success, though there are a few contrary examples.

At any rate, the Twins aren't really a small market team anymore. They're right around the middle of the league in market size, and were #9 in payroll last year. They are not hamstrung any longer by a bad stadium situation. I don't think they are a good example of a small market team. Tampa Bay is probably better.

[alnorth]

Tampa Bay is a terrible example. Their stadium sucks, it is difficult for anyone in Tampa to get there, and their fans suck. Even our TV deal with FSNKC, small as it is, is better than Tampa Bay.

MLB needs to let that franchise move, the owner has done all the right things and got nothing in return.

[alnorth]

There are now going to be a lot fewer high school players coming out for the draft, unless they are elite. The NCAA will be thrilled.

[KC_Connection]

These changes really hurt the small-market teams that had been taking advantage of the system for the past few years like the Rays and Royals. I know that it completely ruins the Jays' ability to pay over slot for picks, which is what allowed them to build one of the strongest farm systems in baseball in just two years.

It also destroys the earning potential of young amateur players...which is bullshit. I'm really not sure why the MLBPA agreed to this.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

These changes really hurt the small-market teams that had been taking advantage of the system for the past few years like the Rays and Royals. I know that it completely ruins the Jays' ability to pay over slot for picks, which is what allowed them to build one of the strongest farm systems in baseball in just two years.

It also destroys the earning potential of young amateur players...which is bullshit. I'm really not sure why the MLBPA agreed to this.

Probably same reason as the NFLPA. Envy. Except it is magnified 10 times over for baseball because at least an NFL rookie will see the field, baseball players were seeing high school players get millions that they'd rather see come to them, given to players who may never even make it above AA ball.

One thing the new system will certainly do, no one is going to pass on signability. Signability no longer exists, if you draft someone with the #45th pick, it isn't the 8th-best player who slipped, it is probably the 45th-best player. (or 29th-best player in your opinion because you think you've got the goods on scouting and the other teams are morons)

[evenfall]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Tampa Bay is a terrible example. Their stadium sucks, it is difficult for anyone in Tampa to get there, and their fans suck. Even our TV deal with FSNKC, small as it is, is better than Tampa Bay.

MLB needs to let that franchise move, the owner has done all the right things and got nothing in return.

They are an example of a small market team competing even with a bad stadium, that's what I meant.