Why Doesn't Baseball Love Us Back?

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

The season is not going to be lost. It has been reported the league has the option to reinstate play at a given number of games at prorated salaries. The number of games is just going to be far less than what we fans would like to see if the players insist on something near 100% of prorated salary. That’s the league’s fallback position. It’s a pretty safe assumption the league is proceeding with a plan that includes rolling to this fallback position. That’s likely part of the reason they asked for a response by Wednesday. If I were them, I would have a drop-dead date set where we roll to plan B.

 

The premise that players will leave for other leagues has been floated here in other discussions. I can’t find any form of logic that substantiates this scenario. Where are they going to go? The next highest paid league is the Nippon Professional Baseball League. The average compensation for players in NPB is roughly ONE-EIGHT of MLB. I spelled it out so I could capitalize this point. Players would play for half in a heartbeat if that’s what revenue dictated.

I am calling it a worst-case scenario, not something I am confident will happen. But not completely unrealistic to me especially if the two sides remain obstinate and the general situation outside baseball keeps eroding. Olney is already floating the idea of free agents after 2020 (for example, Odorizzi, Cruz) holding out in 2021 until after the new CBA is agreed upon.

[Vanimal46]

 

Nevermind. I got fooled by how the owners are splicing up the funds. All they’ve been doing is repackaging the same proposal over and over again.

[Major League Ready]

 

I am calling it a worst-case scenario, not something I am confident will happen. But not completely unrealistic to me especially if the two sides remain obstinate and the general situation outside baseball keeps eroding. Olney is already floating the idea of free agents after 2020 (for example, Odorizzi, Cruz) holding out in 2021 until after the new CBA is agreed upon.

 

Are you thinking the players would strike if the league utilizes their option to play a 50 game season? If so, I would have to agree that's entirely possible. I am hoping they counter with 82 games at 80%. I think that counter would have a chance. I get the sense that any counter beyond 82 games at 80% salary is met with the league implementing a 50 game (roughly) season at prorated salaries.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Are you thinking the players would strike if the league utilizes their option to play a 50 game season? If so, I would have to agree that's entirely possible. I am hoping they counter with 82 games at 80%. I think that counter would have a chance. I get the sense that any counter beyond 82 games at 80% salary is met with the league implementing a 50 game (roughly) season at prorated salaries.

I think even a 50 game season at something between 80% and 99% of their remaining salary (high end maybe imo) the players should take that. The players have plenty to lose here, I just think the owners have more to lose.

 

Also correction from earlier: I think young players like Arraez and Garver, with little service time who didn’t get big signing bonuses but have shown they can stick in the big leagues, will be the most hurt. I would hope if the players accept less than their pro-rated salaries for the rest of the season that the richer players would take the cuts for the younger guys.

[howeda7]

Since we're talking 16-team play-offs (ugh) why not agree to pay the players their full pro-rated salaries for 76-80 games in exchange for the owners getting all the revenue from the first (new) round of play-offs. I'm sure it won't off-set completely, but it should help them keep the losses down.

[Major League Ready]

 

I think even a 50 game season at something between 80% and 99% of their remaining salary (high end maybe imo) the players should take that. The players have plenty to lose here, I just think the owners have more to lose.

Also correction from earlier: I think young players like Arraez and Garver, with little service time who didn’t get big signing bonuses but have shown they can stick in the big leagues, will be the most hurt. I would hope if the players accept less than their pro-rated salaries for the rest of the season that the richer players would take the cuts for the younger guys.

 

50 games at 100% is still 14% less in terms of gross pay vs 76 games at 75%. My guess is the players don’t care how many games they play. They are trying to maximize gross pay. If I am the player’s representation, I recommend a counter of 82 games at 80%. Getting more aggressive than this runs the risk of the owners calling it a day and implementing the 50 game season at pro-rated salaries. 82 games at 80% nets the players 31% more gross pay than a 50 game season at full prorated salaries.

[DocBauer]

Just throwing this out there. And probably deserves it's own OP. But despite some labor issues, and a couple work stoppages, the NFL and NBA have still seen far less labor angst than MLB.

 

In fact, though tables could turn post-covid...and there is already early expectation/speculation...the NFL and NBA have vastly grown worldwide. Meanwhile, baseball is still stuck in some mire I don't understand.

 

Is this the epitome of the "old boys network" we used to hear about? Is it remotely possible MLB owners are still carrying on archaic ideas from original ownership dating back 100yrs?

 

Or are they just smarter than the players union where they see the realities of loss and diminished return that could have far reaching affects?

 

(Already early reports the NFL could be cutting payroll next year by 40% vs normal annual raises)

[Major League Ready]

 

Just throwing this out there. And probably deserves it's own OP. But despite some labor issues, and a couple work stoppages, the NFL and NBA have still seen far less labor angst than MLB.

In fact, though tables could turn post-covid...and there is already early expectation/speculation...the NFL and NBA have vastly grown worldwide. Meanwhile, baseball is still stuck in some mire I don't understand.

Is this the epitome of the "old boys network" we used to hear about? Is it remotely possible MLB owners are still carrying on archaic ideas from original ownership dating back 100yrs?

Or are they just smarter than the players union where they see the realities of loss and diminished return that could have far reaching affects?

(Already early reports the NFL could be cutting payroll next year by 40% vs normal annual raises)

 

Interesting question Doc. Both the NBA and the NFL have salary caps. The NBA has a max of 4 year contracts for free agents. However, the incumbent team is allowed to make a 5 year offer. In most cases, players have to accept less to leave their current team. NFL contracts generally have far less guaranteed money. It seems to me MLB players have more favorable contract and free agency terms. So why is the relationship between the players union and MLB more contentious than other leagues?

 

I really don't know. 

[nicksaviking]

 

Just throwing this out there. And probably deserves it's own OP. But despite some labor issues, and a couple work stoppages, the NFL and NBA have still seen far less labor angst than MLB.

In fact, though tables could turn post-covid...and there is already early expectation/speculation...the NFL and NBA have vastly grown worldwide. Meanwhile, baseball is still stuck in some mire I don't understand.

Is this the epitome of the "old boys network" we used to hear about? Is it remotely possible MLB owners are still carrying on archaic ideas from original ownership dating back 100yrs?

Or are they just smarter than the players union where they see the realities of loss and diminished return that could have far reaching affects?

(Already early reports the NFL could be cutting payroll next year by 40% vs normal annual raises)

 

Yeah, those sports have salary caps enabling more teams to be relevant and they are way more open to on and off field changes. And that the NFL does this should say all we need to know. That is an extremely conservative league both in terms of ownership and fanbase, yet they implement a half dozen new rules each year, change up the way they distribute their broadcasts every couple of years, celebrate and promote their current players often at the expense of the their league's historical records and they actually innovate and change how the game is played on the field. 

 

Baseball fans start a civil war over what to do about the infield shift or DH, while the NFL purposefully changes rules and pushes for forward thinking game strategies so teams can combine for 90 points a game now.

[Major League Ready]

 

Yeah, those sports have salary caps enabling more teams to be relevant and they are way more open to on and off field changes. And that the NFL does this should say all we need to know. That is an extremely conservative league both in terms of ownership and fanbase, yet they implement a half dozen new rules each year, change up the way they distribute their broadcasts every couple of years, celebrate and promote their current players often at the expense of the their league's historical records and they actually innovate and change how the game is played on the field. 

 

Baseball fans start a civil war over what to do about the infield shift or DH, while the NFL purposefully changes rules and pushes for forward thinking game strategies so teams can combine for 90 points a game now.

 

I might be missing the point. What does this have to do with the labor angst Doc was addressing?