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From The Dugout
By Keith LeClair
©2004 Bonesville.net
It’s
cap time for MLB
I am not
an expert on how the salary cap works and all the ins and outs of its
existence, especially in the NFL, but one thing that is distinctly
noticeable is that the cap has brought parity to pro football. Before
the season starts you can honestly say that just about every team has a
chance to make the playoffs (OK, maybe not the Detroit Lions).
Unfortunately, that cannot be said about Major League baseball.
Before
the first pitch is thrown in spring training you almost always can count
out at least ten teams. So, is this good for the game of baseball, or
will MLB have to make some drastic changes before some of the lower
market teams go bankrupt?
Take a
look at the Milwaukee Brewers, for example. They just recently put the
team up for sale, and sadly to say, the only chance they have to succeed
is if a rich owner comes in and wants to spend some money to win. I am
not saying that teams cannot win with a low payroll, but the chances
become much more of a challenge. I would say the Oakland A's are the one
team that seems to be able to compete against the big boys year in and
year out by using their farm system to help replace players lost through
free agency.
I know
some would say that a free market causes competition, but sadly enough
it leaves out half the organizations. Yes, I know the argument can be
made about the Marlins winning the World Series on a payroll less than a
third of the Yankees. I believe that’s why so many fans wanted the
Yankees to lose, because it was like David fighting Goliath.
So what
happened in this off-season? The Yanks and Boston go out on a spending
spree to bury the chances of the likes of the Florida Marlins — or a big
market team like the Orioles — to buy their way back into the race.
Honestly, as a fan, I do not know which players went where until the
first month of the season has been played. And when the trading deadline
comes, it starts all over again with the big spenders wheeling and
dealing again to raid the small market teams of any good players they
may have for a few minor leaguers and cash.
I am
afraid the game is losing its fan base because of all this and some
changes have to be made. The only shot a smaller market team has right
now is developing players through its farm system and hopefully hitting
the jackpot on a trade from one of the players they have developed, but
cannot afford anymore. What happens to these rising superstars when free
agency hits? They fly to greener pastures for millions upon millions of
dollars and leave their club to start all over again.
I
believe the majority of fans want a competitive and balanced league, not
one that is lopsided before the All-Star break. Just look at the NFL
playoffs and the parity they have year in and year out. It’s very seldom
that you see the same teams fighting for a chance to play in the Super
Bowl.
Wouldn’t
it be nice to see a level playing field in Major League baseball? I
think so and here is my two-cents opinion on how to fix the problem.
First, I
would set the salary cap at $50 million per team and allow each team to
designate one franchise player that would not count against the cap up
to $10 million. For example, take Manny Ramirez out of the Red Sox out.
Only $10 million of his $20 million salary (or thereabouts) would count
towards the cap.This way, your marquee players will still be making the
dollars they should, but it would cut the cost of paying average players
who hit .250 and pitchers that are sub-.500 from making millions.
This
would then put an emphasis on the development of the farm system and
keep players in your organization for longer periods of time. This would
drastically cut free agency from becoming nothing more than a bidding
war. It’s out of control when you’re paying guys $20 million a year to
play baseball and the fans who make $10 an hour pay for it. This way,
owners could cut prices at the ticket office and in the concession
stands to where fans could afford to take their family to a baseball
game and not spend $250.
Second,
I would move up the trading deadline to June 1st so there are no more
rent-a-player deals. Like Sidney Ponson going to Giants for the stretch
run only to resign with Baltimore at end of year. This would avoid the
fire sales like you saw the Pirates and Cubs make during the Cubbies’
playoff run.
The way
the trading deadline is set up now, teams have to make trades to even
stay in the race. The Mariners this past year elected not to make any
trades and they got left in the dust when September came around and the
GM got fired because of it. I say when teams leave spring training,
that’s basically the players you’re going to go to battle with until the
last pitch is thrown. If by June 1st you have a need and your farm
system cannot fill it, by all means go make a deal, but do not trade
your whole team away in August because you’re out of the race. By having
this trading deadline it would allow more guys to be called up and given
a shot they have worked so hard to deserve.
Last, I
would put a $2 million cap on the draft and reduce it to 25 rounds and
put more emphasis on signing more free agent college seniors to fill
minor league rosters. If teams feel there are some marquee guys in the
draft they want to sign, make them give those players Major League
contracts and count that money towards their salary cap. What this will
do in the draft is allow teams to base their selections on which kids
who can help their organizations instead of on which ones they can
afford.
Too many
times, players are passed up in the draft because a small market team
has the number one pick but has to settle for a lesser player based on
money. It’s absurd to allow high school kids dictate which team is going
to draft them by what kind of bonus money they are demanding.
I would
also move the draft back one month to July 1st and make high school
seniors, college juniors and junior college freshmen declare themselves
for the draft like basketball and football. Those kids would then enter
the draft without the option of coming back or playing at the collegiate
level.
The only
other twist that could be made is to allow high school seniors that were
drafted lower than expected — or low-balled — to enter junior college,
but not be eligible for the draft again until their second year. This
would radically change the system and basically get signing bonuses back
under control. I just think 18-21 year-old kids getting signing bonuses
for over $5 million before they even play a professional game is utterly
ridiculous.
I know I
have thrown a lot out here in one article and that some changes would
most likely need to be made in my proposals, especially in the salary
cap dollar amount and the idea of making kids declare themselves
eligible to be drafted. But that’s a start, at least for now, and gives
us all something to think about.
The
chances of this happening are slim to none, but that’s my opinion on the
salary cap. I know I proposed some drastic changes that certainly would
need to be tweaked, and that’s where you all come into play. What
changes would you make to the system? If you have some suggestions just
email me your thoughts.
Fire your best pitch at
Ol' Condo:
Sound off to Coach LeClair...
02.23.07 10:27 AM
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