MLB Lockout Thread

[Can_of_corn]

1 hour ago, Sports Guy said:

But are you paying those guys big money in pre and early arb years?  

No.

[Frobby]

4 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

The only topic the players care about is getting the aging, mediocre guys more money.  That’s really it.  How can we get those guys paid?

Just impose a salary floor.

I don't agree with that characterization.   The players have asked for a bonus pool for the pre-FA players.   

[Sports Guy]

18 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I don't agree with that characterization.   The players have asked for a bonus pool for the pre-FA players.   

Great…it’s not what they truly care about though.  And you can argue that the more those guys get paid, the higher their salaries will be later on, even the mediocre players. 
 

It’s all about protecting those guys, which make up a much larger portion of FA than the top guys do.

[spiritof66]

8 hours ago, wildcard said:

Max Scherzer should be traded to Pittsburgh.   Here is part of his most recent statement.

“We want a system where threshold and penalties don’t function as caps" 

With this statement he proves he does not care about the players playing for small market team.  That in as system without luxury tax and revenue sharing the players on small market teams have no chance of winning.   Especially were there is no tanking to try to build a team with high draft choices.

Scherzer should have no say in any MLB/Union agreement.  His opinions are not good for baseball.

Somebody should ask Scherzer, or one of the other player reps who doesn't seem to mind talking to the media, whether he thinks the union's proposals will help alleviate the competitive imbalance in MLB, and if so how.  I don't know whether these guys are unavailable for questions they don't feel like answering or the media guys are too timid to ask them.

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, spiritof66 said:

Somebody should ask Scherzer, or one of the other player reps who doesn't seem to mind talking to the media, whether he thinks the union's proposals will help alleviate the competitive imbalance in MLB, and if so how.  I don't know whether these guys are unavailable for questions they don't feel like answering or the media guys are too timid to ask them.

I don't see how that is the players' problem.

Of course I also don't think competitive balance is all that big a problem. 

 

[Frobby]

32 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I don't see how that is the players' problem.

Of course I also don't think competitive balance is all that big a problem. 

 

I think the players’ idea of helping competitive balance is disincentivizing tanking.   Of course, that also leads to sub-.500 teams spending more money, to their benefit.   

[wildcard]

2 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

I don't see how that is the players' problem.

Of course I also don't think competitive balance is all that big a problem. 

 

Whether you want it to be its the players problem or not, raising the luxury tax is  a problem for major league baseball.   It makes the league less competitive benefiting the rich teams.   Scherzer just thinking about the players pocket book and not whether small market team can compete is bad for major league baseball.   He should put himself in the place of players on teams that can't compete instead of just thinking about money.

No one can stop him from talking but the union, the players and all of baseball should understand that what he say is not a good way to change major league baseball.   The solution can't be just good for rich teams.  It has to be good for all the team including the low revenue teams.  

The fans are smart enough to know the money difference between the teams is too much  to have competitive  baseball and they will make the situation worse by no supporting team that have not chance to win.  It bad enough now.  Making it worse is not the way for the CBA to go.

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Whether you want it to be its the players problem or not, raising the luxury tax is  a problem for major league baseball.   It makes the league less competitive benefiting the rich teams.   Scherzer just thinking about the players pocket book and not whether small market team can compete is bad for major league baseball.   He should put himself in the place of players on teams that can't compete instead of just thinking about money.

No one can stop him from talking but the union, the players and all of baseball should understand that what he say is not a good way to change major league baseball.   The solution can't be just good for rich teams.  It has to be good for all the team including the low revenue teams.  

The fans are smart enough to know the money difference between the teams is too much  to have competitive  baseball and they will make the situation worse by no supporting team that have not chance to win.  It bad enough now.  Making it worse is not the way for the CBA to go.

Do you think the smaller market teams can't afford higher payrolls?

I don't think that Scherzer should give a care if the Pirates, Orioles and Rays of the world want to skim as much cream as possible instead of putting money into their teams.

The NHL had a honest to goodness problem a number of years ago.  Something had to be done about player salaries.

This is just guys not wanting to weather a decrease in their profits.

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, wildcard said:

Whether you want it to be its the players problem or not, raising the luxury tax is  a problem for major league baseball.   It makes the league less competitive benefiting the rich teams.   Scherzer just thinking about the players pocket book and not whether small market team can compete is bad for major league baseball.   He should put himself in the place of players on teams that can't compete instead of just thinking about money.

No one can stop him from talking but the union, the players and all of baseball should understand that what he say is not a good way to change major league baseball.   The solution can't be just good for rich teams.  It has to be good for all the team including the low revenue teams.  

The fans are smart enough to know the money difference between the teams is too much  to have competitive  baseball and they will make the situation worse by no supporting team that have not chance to win.  It bad enough now.  Making it worse is not the way for the CBA to go.

Annual revenue is up over $1 bb since the last CBA negotiation.   Why wouldn’t the players want a raise in the luxury tax threshold?    

 

[Can_of_corn]

11 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Annual revenue is up over $1 bb since the last CBA negotiation.   Why wouldn’t the players want a raise in the luxury tax threshold?    

 

The Royals sold for a Billion, the Royals.  Mets sold for more than twice that.

Owing a MLB team is very profitable.   

[MGH5208]

16 hours ago, wildcard said:

Max Scherzer should be traded to Pittsburgh.   Here is part of his most recent statement.

“We want a system where threshold and penalties don’t function as caps" 

With this statement he proves he does not care about the players playing for small market team.  That in as system without luxury tax and revenue sharing the players on small market teams have no chance of winning.   Especially were there is no tanking to try to build a team with high draft choices.

Scherzer should have no say in any MLB/Union agreement.  His opinions are not good for baseball.

I'm not pro owner or pro player, i just want an agreement so we can have baseball.     

BUT, having a guy making $43 million a year as your spokesman, just seems a little disingenuous to me.

Maybe he should keep his mouth shut and let one of these guys only making 675K speak for a change

[Can_of_corn]

5 hours ago, MGH5208 said:

I'm not pro owner or pro player, i just want an agreement so we can have baseball.     

BUT, having a guy making $43 million a year as your spokesman, just seems a little disingenuous to me.

Maybe he should keep his mouth shut and let one of these guys only making 675K speak for a change

Instead of a 37 year old with 14 years in the league, someone who has been traded, been through the arbitration process and been a free agent they should get a kid who has done none of that?

 

[Frobby]

6 hours ago, MGH5208 said:

I'm not pro owner or pro player, i just want an agreement so we can have baseball.     

BUT, having a guy making $43 million a year as your spokesman, just seems a little disingenuous to me.

Maybe he should keep his mouth shut and let one of these guys only making 675K speak for a change

I agree with this sentiment.   The trick is, in any industry, it’s almost always going to be someone of long tenure who is a union spokesman.   

[Frobby]

From David Laurila on Fangraphs:

MLB and the MLBPA are currently at war, the former having implemented a lockout while the two sides negotiate a new CBA. With the scheduled start of spring training fast approaching, and progress seemingly at a standstill, fans are becoming increasingly impatient, if not frustrated and/or angry. With that in mind, I ran the following Twitter poll on Thursday afternoon:

With the caveat that bargaining is a two-way street, which side do you support in the CBA negotiations: MLB players, or MLB owners?

A total of 1,198 people weighed in, and the results spoke volumes. An overwhelming 94.5% voted MLB Players, while only 5.5% sided with MLB owners.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/sunday-notes-the-crime-dogs-equal-carlos-delgado-deserves-another-look/

Fangraphs is probably a somewhat skewed audience, and I’d expect a more general poll to be less lopsided, but it’s apparent that those who are blaming the players are in the minority.   That’s important in the negotiations because public perception will affect how fans react when the work stoppage ends.   

[wildcard]

9 hours ago, Frobby said:

Annual revenue is up over $1 bb since the last CBA negotiation.   Why wouldn’t the players want a raise in the luxury tax threshold?    

 

I find this hard to believe.   The current CBA is from 2017-2021.   They played 60 games I'm 2020 and had smaller crowds because of the pandemic is 2021.   I know the TV revenue may be higher in 2021 but the take at the gate should be down.

One site says MLB lost 1B in 2020.