Meoli Analysis of Recent Moves

[wildcard]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

First of all, thanks for that contract compilation.   You made your point very well.

I think the players’ fear is more on behalf of the more “middle class” players who get pushed out of jobs because there’s somebody younger, maybe not quite as good, but way cheaper.   On a more “meta” level, they want the player salary pie to be bigger, and one way to do that is to reduce incentives for owners to go young and cheap.   
 

Near as I can tell players with ability are not getting push out of baseball.  If they don't fit with one team they get a job with another team.  Players with less ability lose their jobs.  That is the way it should be IMO.  

Sounds to me like the union wants to keep players  around longer with long term contracts.  The owners seem to be foolishly moving back to that model because they want to win now and are willing be overpay late in contracts. 

As far as players wanting to be paid earlier, I don't have much sympathy for that.  Good players get paid well in free agency.   Arbitration rates for good players  go into the high tens of millions.  Mediocre players should nor get big contracts.

Ownership has to pay for player in the minors.  They have infrastructure and coaching staff costs.   Asking for players to get paid at a low rate for three year of major league service even if they are under paid for a few stars in not unreasonable IMO.   Its one of the only ways low revenue team can even be in business while  they try to compete with high revenue team.

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, wildcard said:

Near as I can tell players with ability are not getting push out of baseball.  If they don't fit with one team they get a job with another team.  Players with less ability lose their jobs.  That is the way it should be IMO.  

Sounds to me like the union wants to keep players  around longer with long term contracts.  The owners seem to be foolishly moving back to that model because they want to win now and are willing be overpay late in contracts. 

As far as players wanting to be paid earlier, I don't have much sympathy for that.  Good players get paid well in free agency.   Arbitration rates for good players  go into the high tens of millions.  Mediocre players should nor get big contracts.

First of all, I am not that sympathetic to players’ plight, but I’m far less sympathetic to the multimillionaire owners, who’ve been getting an increasing share of the revenue pie the last 10-15 years.   And, no player earns more than the free market will bear, but the vast majority of players make less.

Theres a huge group of players who are underpaid throughout their best years, and don’t make it up on the back end because they get hurt or their bodies give out before they get a big contract. Especially pitchers.   So I don’t have a problem with the players negotiating to alleviate that.   

If the negotiations interfere with next season starting on time, as a fan I will be very upset.   But I won’t necessarily blame the players.   It all depends how the negotiations go and who is being more reasonable.   It’s impossible to say right now.   We’ll see how it goes.