Posted on 12/02/2021 2:54:52 AM PST by NautiNurse
Major League Baseball team owners have locked out the players in a battle over the game’s future economic structure, initiating the sport’s first work stoppage since the strike that resulted in the cancelation of the 1994 World Series.
[snip]
A large point of contention is the competitive landscape, particularly the rise of “tanking”–a radical rebuilding strategy in which teams intentionally make their rosters worse to save money and acquire draft picks for the future. This approach, coupled with an increased reliance on data analytics, caused a squeeze on some veteran free agents, inspiring the players’ frustration.
[snip]
Management argues that the players receive a fair share of the game’s overall revenues and have balked at any proposal that involves increasing their take. Rather, the league sees the issue as one of wealth distribution: that a small number of highly rewarded superstars command a disproportionate amount of the money allocated to players...
[snip]
Clearly, baseball as a whole isn’t facing existential financial distress. Teams have already spent nearly $2 billion on free agents this offseason, with the looming lockout causing a frenzied spending spree over the past week. Scherzer signed a three-year contract with the New York Mets that will net him $43.3 million per season, an all-time record that far surpasses New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole’s $36 million annually. Shortstop Corey Seager’s 10-year, $325 million with the Texas Rangers was the ninth deal ever to guarantee a player $300 million or more.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
There might still be a June-version of spring training (two weeks) to get players into marginal shape for a half-season of play. That’s if they can reach a compromise in 2022.
Not since the mid 80s.
tankarding?
A June version of Spring Training is unlikely to occur in FL and AZ.
I loved the irony of that.
And I have been a Braves fan, was there when they clinched the division in their worst-to-first year in ‘91 that started the modern era of winning for them.
I watched essentially none of the World Series.
Couldn’t care less! Was a life-long fan of the game and, in particular, the Phillies. Haven’t watched any in 2 years now. When they started kneeling for our National Anthem, they disrespected our country. Those spoiled millionaires can go pound sand!
The only positive about being a Reds fan is that you are not a Pirates fan.
It's inevitable that money will dominate major sports in the U.S., but when it comes at the expense of the fans then I have no interest in supporting it anymore.
I recall legend Connie Mack owner/manager of the Philadelphia A’s back in the day said his best season is one where the team does well at the start but falls to 3rd or 4th place at the end of the season, that way they have good attendance all year and he never had to give the players a raise for coming in third.
And yet the Rangers went on a splurge right before the lockout.
Sounds like they are just now figuring out how Corporate America has operated for a long time.
A 10 year/$300 Million contract for a human athlete is nuts.
I could only read so much before hitting the paywall, and I understand this freezes all off-season transactions, but still a lockout on December 2 seems to me mostly like posturing.
I live within driving distance of the Giants, but I simply won’t pay the sky high tickets prices. I didn’t do any pricing this season, but, analogously, I’m in Las Vegas this weekend with one son and his gf. I was going to take them to the Raiders. $250 each for extremely crappy seats and $100 to park at Allegiant Stadium. I simply won’t pay it. Players salaries are only part of the economics, but I’m not buying the notion that they’re unjustly underpaid
The 2021 MLB minimum wage was $570,500.
The average salary for a player in the MLB stood at $4.17 million in 2021.
The players are replaceable. They need to think carefully about having their careers trashed cover this. Come February, the owners will be holding open house for the “New MLB”.
It’s not even winter yet and we’re told about a problem in baseball? ... Let’s do this later ... much later, please!
I've been marginally paying attention and have been hearing about a potential lockout since spring training, so I doubt the were even slightly surprised. They probably had that statement written and ready to go for a month or two.
Yes, I just read that Freeman wanted to have a deal done before lockout. (I don’t think they got it done) So I suppose they knew it was coming.
If it goes that long, it will probably be because of disagreements between the high-revenue owners and low-revenue owners. The concessions the players are likely asking (earlier free-agency, minimum team salary) will have a bigger impact on the low-revenue teams.
My guess is it will be resolved by mid-March at the latest.
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