Dear MLBPA, you’re at fault for the FA slowdown

[jacksonianmarch]

I’m reading multiple agents talking about collusion and hearing about players boycotting ST (which they legally cannot do) due to the slowdown in the FA market. Well, I’m sorry, but you guys agreed to this CBA. The penalties attached to QO signees are even more onerous. Yes a 1st round loss is big, but now a 2nd rounder, a 5th rounder and huge INtL money forfeitures to sign a QO’d FA are more than most teams are willing to fork over, especially when considering now that the teams will then have to pay the contract and the taxes associated with it. The CBA disproportionately discriminated against the big market clubs. Now, all of the large markets outside of Boston are trying to stay away from the lux tax cap because next years FAs are ridiculous and also the large market clubs are the ones who get hurt the most with lost INTL funds since they’re the most active down in the DR and VZ. So you have LA, NYY, CHC and other large market clubs on the sideline waiting for next offseason. You’re got other large markets not wanting to be penalized for signing players and now the players are bitching? You agreed to this CBA. Now you have to live with it

[Spudboy]

My heart pumps piss for the lot of them.

[Bellhorn04]

I’m reading multiple agents talking about collusion and hearing about players boycotting ST (which they legally cannot do) due to the slowdown in the FA market. Well, I’m sorry, but you guys agreed to this CBA. The penalties attached to QO signees are even more onerous. Yes a 1st round loss is big, but now a 2nd rounder, a 5th rounder and huge INtL money forfeitures to sign a QO’d FA are more than most teams are willing to fork over, especially when considering now that the teams will then have to pay the contract and the taxes associated with it. The CBA disproportionately discriminated against the big market clubs. Now, all of the large markets outside of Boston are trying to stay away from the lux tax cap because next years FAs are ridiculous and also the large market clubs are the ones who get hurt the most with lost INTL funds since they’re the most active down in the DR and VZ. So you have LA, NYY, CHC and other large market clubs on the sideline waiting for next offseason. You’re got other large markets not wanting to be penalized for signing players and now the players are bitching? You agreed to this CBA. Now you have to live with it

What you may actually be pointing out, though, is that this was a bad agreement for everyone.

[jacksonianmarch]

It was a great agreement for small markets because the prices will drop on marquee FAs which will in turn drop the prices of the guys the small markets sign as well. By focusing so much on the small markets, the larger markets have effectively decided to follow prospect development instead of big money signings.

[Kimmi]

I am interested to see what happens next offseason when there are big fish in the free agent market and the Yankees and Dodgers have reset their penalty. I am sure that Harper and Machado will get good contracts, but will they be tempered in comparison to current expectations? It sceems like Harper is expecting a 10 year contract. What if his best offer is 'only' a 6 or 7 year deal (which is still bad enough)?

[Bellhorn04]

It was a great agreement for small markets because the prices will drop on marquee FAs which will in turn drop the prices of the guys the small markets sign as well. By focusing so much on the small markets, the larger markets have effectively decided to follow prospect development instead of big money signings.

But a lot of the grumbling seems to be that a number of small market teams are not making any effort at all to improve this offseason. They're just pocketing the revenue-sharing money.

Maybe, as some have suggested, there need to be some penalties at the other end of the spectrum, to establish some payroll minimums.

[jacksonianmarch]

The smaller markets are waiting out these free agents, there’s no big fish to swoop in and steal them. Boston can wait on JD as they know the Yankees aren’t waiting to sign him. Heck, Hosmer’s choices are SD or KC

[Bellhorn04]

Well, regardless of who's at fault for the agreement, I can't see how this offseason has been a good one for baseball. It's not just players that are frustrated, it's fans as well.

(Well, maybe not Yankees fans, since everything has been going right for them.)

[Jasonbay44]

This has seriously been one of the most boring off seasons I've ever witnessed.

[jacksonianmarch]

You cannot do a salary floor in baseball because the owners would then ask for a hard cap. If I were the players union, I’d ask for a zero penalty phase for signing FAs. Reward the losing team with comp picks, but no damage comes to the signing team. And the steroids out of the game, I’d push for changes to the 6 years of service time. Maybe make it 5 yrs with an option for a sixth year for the average salary of the top 3 earning players at the position. This would allow more guys who aren’t in the top tier to hit the market and allow the top tier guys to get paid handsomely in their last year of control.

[notin]

But a lot of the grumbling seems to be that a number of small market teams are not making any effort at all to improve this offseason. They're just pocketing the revenue-sharing money.

Maybe, as some have suggested, there need to be some penalties at the other end of the spectrum, to establish some payroll minimums.

Maybe revenue sharing shouldn't come in the form of actual US dollars, but in MLBucks that are only redeemable for free agents and added salary.

Or better yet, make them redeemable only in Bitcoin (or any of the other crypto-currencies). That way if they don't spend them, they might be completely worthless within 48 hours...

[moonslav59]

You cannot do a salary floor in baseball because the owners would then ask for a hard cap. If I were the players union, I’d ask for a zero penalty phase for signing FAs. Reward the losing team with comp picks, but no damage comes to the signing team. And the steroids out of the game, I’d push for changes to the 6 years of service time. Maybe make it 5 yrs with an option for a sixth year for the average salary of the top 3 earning players at the position. This would allow more guys who aren’t in the top tier to hit the market and allow the top tier guys to get paid handsomely in their last year of control.

You could predicate added revenue sharing by demanding a certain percent be spent on raising player salary budgets on the lower spending teams.

Yes, owners might demand a hard cap, but poorer teams already get a lot of money through revenue sharing and in other ways. Right now, much of that goes right into the pockets of the owner, as does much of the revenue for richer teams. You can't blame any owner for wanting to increase profits.

Rich teams would prefer there always be 8-12 teams that will always remain relatively non-competitive, in large part to lower spending on player salaries. It gives the richer teams a greater chance at winning and keeping their fan base happy and watching or attending games.

It's always kind of surprised me how the home team gate is not split 50-50 with the visiting team. That seems fair and would go along way at evening the playing field. Home teams could pocket the concession money. There's an argument to be made that the TV money for each game being split with the visiting team as well.

When teams start making 20 times the money playing in NY vs Oakland, maybe some pressure might be put on teams like Oakland to do something, even it that meant moving to a better market area.

[Bellhorn04]

Maybe revenue sharing shouldn't come in the form of actual US dollars, but in MLBucks that are only redeemable for free agents and added salary.

Or better yet, make them redeemable only in Bitcoin (or any of the other crypto-currencies). That way if they don't spend them, they might be completely worthless within 48 hours...

Very good.

[jacksonianmarch]

Splitting the gate effectively forces a well run team to even the playing field with a poorly run one. I don’t like that idea. Socialism in pro sports isn’t always a good thing, you have to have a free market to some degree. I’m entirely fine with the parity now compared to years past. Every team has made the playoffs in the last 10 years, which wasn’t the case in the prior 10. Now I think the players need to work to alleviate some of the undue burden added onto the larger market teams which should open their wallets a bit more. We are seeing the effects of attacking the large markets this offseason. When the free agent market bidders aren’t large markets, the offers are lower, and the market stagnates. If the lux tax were $20 mil higher, then NY and LA would have already signed someone

[moonslav59]

Splitting the gate effectively forces a well run team to even the playing field with a poorly run one. I don’t like that idea. Socialism in pro sports isn’t always a good thing, you have to have a free market to some degree. I’m entirely fine with the parity now compared to years past. Every team has made the playoffs in the last 10 years, which wasn’t the case in the prior 10. Now I think the players need to work to alleviate some of the undue burden added onto the larger market teams which should open their wallets a bit more. We are seeing the effects of attacking the large markets this offseason. When the free agent market bidders aren’t large markets, the offers are lower, and the market stagnates. If the lux tax were $20 mil higher, then NY and LA would have already signed someone

It's not socialism.

When the Who comes to play at a stadium, they get paid. If teh Who and Stones come for the same show, they split the gate.