MLB Salary Floor

[brvn52]

 

 

Obviously, there's a long way to go before a new CBA is reached and who knows how much this is posturing by the owners vs. a real possibility, but a salary floor would have significant implications on the way the Orioles currently function. 

 

By my extremely loose count, the O's are projected to have just around $40-45M in payroll next year ($9M in previous deferrals, ~$20-25M in arbitration, $10-12M for the rest of the roster). That would leave us needing to add at least $55M in payroll by next spring. 

 

Again, this is far from a reality. However, if MLB were to move forward with this, how would you and/or how do you think Elias addresses the need to add such a significant amount of payroll? Free agency? Locking up young players (Adley, GrayRod, Mountcastle)? Re-signing established pieces (Mullins, Means, Mancini)?

[NelsonCruuuuuz]

Great thread! Grabs popcorn! Elias can’t wait to trade down too, salivating!

[brvn52]

My 2 cents...this is potentially in tension with what Elias wants to do (streamline resources to the international marketing, scouting, and development as opposed to the ML roster), however the transition of resources to the ML isn't too far away. I wonder if something like this could speed up the process. 

 

What I'd love to see is Elias use this to lock up our top talent - Adley and GrayRod. He could frontload deals to help raise our 2022 payroll while locking them up for up to a decade. Pairing that up with a short-term overpay on a FA SS (I'd love Correa or Seager, but my guess is they'll get too long of a deal. Maybe a guy like Baez) and a FA SP would allow us to hit the floor while still allowing for plenty of long-term flexibility. 

[Can_of_corn]

Front loading won't work it's an AAV situation.

[brvn52]

4 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Front loading won't work it's an AAV situation.

I must be missing something...where did you see that would be the deal for the salary floor? If that was the case, you wouldn't even need to frontload much then, just sign rookies to long-term deals because that would bring their AAV up.

[Sports Guy]

If this is being introduced now, I think it’s likely a floor will happen.

Whatever that number is, the Os will have to spend a lot to meet it.

So, how do you do that?  To me, if you have to spend money, buy the elite guys.  I would rather spend 30M on Bryant than get 3 $10M players, for example.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

12 minutes ago, brvn52 said:

I must be missing something...where did you see that would be the deal for the salary floor? If that was the case, you wouldn't even need to frontload much then, just sign rookies to long-term deals because that would bring their AAV up.

It's in the article. I see the luxury tax threshold proposed for $180M being an issue with the player's union.

Quote

One trade-off, people briefed on the league’s proposal said, would be a salary minimum of $100 million in the sport.

 

[brvn52]

4 minutes ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

It's in the article. I see the luxury tax threshold proposed for $180M being an issue with the player's union.

 

Right...where does it say it's based off AAV though?

 

Luxury tax threshold will definitely be an issue. The floor is an attempt at easing that issue. 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

Just now, brvn52 said:

Right...where does it say it's based off AAV though?

 

Luxury tax threshold will definitely be an issue. The floor is an attempt at easing that issue. 

Oh yeah, I think it has to be based on dollars spent per year. AAV would be used to help certain clubs not go over the luxury tax threshold by being able to front load or back load contracts. 

[SteveA]

I imagine since some teams including the Orioles are so far below the #, there would probably have to be a phase in period of more than one year to allow those teams to ramp up.  Otherwise they would almost be forced to sign one of the top priced free agents to make it right away.  While I wouldn't be opposed to Trevor Story or Carlos Correa wearing the O's uniform next year, I doubt they would make us make that leap in this off-season, even if the CBA is somehow agreed to before November.

[JimGinSP]

Wait, What?  Will the Chris Davis 2022 salary count towards next years floor? 
 

[eddie83]

5 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

If this is being introduced now, I think it’s likely a floor will happen.

Whatever that number is, the Os will have to spend a lot to meet it.

So, how do you do that?  To me, if you have to spend money, buy the elite guys.  I would rather spend 30M on Bryant than get 3 $10M players, for example.

Why would the elite guys come here if the good teams with more money want them? 

[eddie83]

This is a such a stupid idea. It accomplishes nothing. Only reason owners would push it is for a cap on other end. 
 

Once again how many good players will reach free agency? The word free is used for a reason, you are free to go anywhere. 
 

Bad teams don’t get better by paying more money for mediocre players. 

[Can_of_corn]

1 hour ago, eddie83 said:

This is a such a stupid idea. It accomplishes nothing. Only reason owners would push it is for a cap on other end. 
 

Once again how many good players will reach free agency? The word free is used for a reason, you are free to go anywhere. 
 

Bad teams don’t get better by paying more money for mediocre players. 

Sure they do, they go from bad to mediocre.

 

I'm not a huge fan of forcing spending but if I'm a big market team I'm not happy about handing my profits over to a team that is pocketing it with a smile while they are lowering the quality of the product.

 

[TonySoprano]

There are exceptions to every rule.  Oakland and TB aren't tanking and yet their salaries are in the bottom 1/3 of the sport.  How do you get them to bump up their payroll when they can't get out of their outdated ballparks?