Trading Superstars (Mookie Betts)

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by Neil K Walk

It's an illustration of how MLB is broken and that there needs to be a salary cap and a salary floor. There are teams with entire rosters that total less than $50M and they can't compete simply because of franchises like the Yankees, Dodgers and Red Sox who sign these ridiculous contracts only to dump salary so that they don't have to pay the luxury tax.

+1. I heard a commentary on a Sports radio talk show today where the host (don't know who he was) discussed that the Owners need to fight for a hard upper and lower cap even if it means a strike/lockout for an entire season. Need to get this under control.

[M19]

Originally Posted by aknow

Pro atletes have no loyalty to a team, only to a contract, and that's debatable too.

Like the teams have loyalty to the player? Hardly. And look how the NFL teams treat their players, contract wise.

It's a business all around and the player trying to get as much as they can is fine with me.

[M19]

Regarding this specific deal, how could the Red Sox not known what every Twins fan knew about Graderol? They just got buyers remorse and now are trying to extort more from the Twins. I read that they seem to be holding firm, and not offering another prospect, as well they shouldn't.

[Neil K Walk]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

+1. I heard a commentary on a Sports radio talk show today where the host (don't know who he was) discussed that the Owners need to fight for a hard upper and lower cap even if it means a strike/lockout for an entire season. Need to get this under control.

Owners don’t care. The revenue sharing and media contracts are what is keeping the noncompetitive smaller market teams afloat.

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by aknow

Pro atletes have no loyalty to a team, only to a contract, and that's debatable too.

Same thing with owners of pro teams. They're just as much out for themselves as any player.

Walter O'Malley . . . Robert Irsay . . . Art Modell . . .

Not to mention Al Davis, owner of the [This Space for Rent] Raiders . . .

[Jobe]

One thing that strikes me is a high market/payroll like the Red Sox is ditching big money contracts. If the Yankees and other big market teams follow suit then it marks a ceiling for what teams and ownership can sustain. Tampa Bay puts a good team on the field for half the cost. Oakland has pulled that off too. Ownership might start playing by some different rules sooner than later. Great players have out moneyed the system. Let's see.

[Fogducker]

Its got so that professional sports should be reported in the Financial Sections of the newspapers (Themselves a threatened breed).

Fog

[Neil K Walk]

Originally Posted by Jobe

One thing that strikes me is a high market/payroll like the Red Sox is ditching big money contracts. If the Yankees and other big market teams follow suit then it marks a ceiling for what teams and ownership can sustain. Tampa Bay puts a good team on the field for half the cost. Oakland has pulled that off too. Ownership might start playing by some different rules sooner than later. Great players have out moneyed the system. Let's see.

Yes, but these big market teams signed those contracts in the first place. They're part of the problem.

As for MLB players, they're all spoiled prima donnas. The spend 2 weeks on the DL for the most ridiculous of reasons. GMs then call up a prospect and get to essentially audition a potential replacement. They aren't "out moneying" the system, they're holding teams hostage by holding back on effort in the hope that they get traded.

I say it again: baseball is broken. It's gotten so bad that attendance doesn't even matter anymore. As long as the TV deals are in place they're essentially printing money.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by Neil K Walk

Yes, but these big market teams signed those contracts in the first place. They're part of the problem.

As for MLB players, they're all spoiled prima donnas. The spend 2 weeks on the DL for the most ridiculous of reasons. GMs then call up a prospect and get to essentially audition a potential replacement. They aren't "out moneying" the system, they're holding teams hostage by holding back on effort in the hope that they get traded.

I say it again: baseball is broken. It's gotten so bad that attendance doesn't even matter anymore. As long as the TV deals are in place they're essentially printing money.

One way to think about it is that a solid salary cap "protects" the big market teams from offering those stupid, long term $300M contracts. A cap will actually protect GMs from themselves.

It still pains me to think what the Red Sox offered Price a few years ago. As a fan I disagreed with that contract from day one, although I was (initially) glad he was on the team ... but not at that cost.

[Neil K Walk]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

One way to think about it is that a solid salary cap "protects" the big market teams from offering those stupid, long term $300M contracts. A cap will actually protect GMs from themselves.

It still pains me to think what the Red Sox offered Price a few years ago. As a fan I disagreed with that contract from day one, although I was (initially) glad he was on the team ... but not at that cost.

I just goes to show that these contracts are not worth the paper they're written on. The owners are a little boys' club who trade players like Topps baseball cards.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by Neil K Walk

I just goes to show that these contracts are not worth the paper they're written on. The owners are a little boys' club who trade players like Topps baseball cards.

I don't see how that's different than the standard working class. Except instead of getting traded we get fired or laid off and no guaranteed contracts. I'm fortunate that hasn't happened to me but if I stop performing I'll be let go with no guaranteed money coming my way.

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

I don't see how that's different than the standard working class. Except instead of getting traded we get fired or laid off and no guaranteed contracts. I'm fortunate that hasn't happened to me but if I stop performing I'll be let go with no guaranteed money coming my way.

Star athletes aren't "working class".

I remember when a guy like 1950 AL MVP Phil Rizzuto, who played in nine World Series, had to take a part-time job in between seasons to make ends meet. Those days are long gone.

[Lkristians]

We'd be happy to take him on the Mets. That way, he'd still be close by.
However, these "hapless" Mets can't even figure out how to sell the team!
Pitchers and catchers reporting...March Madness coming soon. A great time of year!

[The Watchman]

Even if big contract players are willing to take less money to stay with a team, the union wont let them. It ruins the curve for negotiations for other players.

[Fogducker]

Minimum wage for an unknown player sitting on the bench is $500,000/yr. If I watch on TV, its for entertainment only!

My wife went to a Detroit Tiger, (A forgettable team) game on a travel tour thing,------price for a bottle of WATER was $5.50. Her seat was lousy and she said that is her last game! The Illitch family doesn't care they have a gold mine with guaranteed profitability!

Fog