The Boston Red Sox handed the biggest contract to a starting
pitcher in Major League Baseball recently, the whole David Price contract…
maybe you’ve heard of it? Price got seven years and $217 million with an
opt-out clause after three years. When I got online the next day to read some
of the reactions around the league I expected the Boston Red Sox to be praised
and for Dave Dombrowski to be elevated to King status but what I actually saw
came as a bit of a surprise. The David Price contract brought the “MLB needs a
salary cap” voices to the front of the line.
Including the top four major North American sports Major
League Baseball is the only one of the four that does not have a salary cap.
That sits well with many MLB fans but when you consider that Price makes more annually
than every single player in the NFL, NHL and NBA you can see why there may be a
little bit of envy going on around the sports world. Price isn’t the first one
to ruffle the feathers of the other sports and their players because of a big
contract either, MLB owns 27 of the top 30 richest sports contracts across the
four major sports according to Wikipedia.
Major League Baseball and their Players Union have it
figured out. The cap is not needed. The players are making their money and the
owners are making even more money with the split of revenues and profits tilted
slightly in the owners favor. The bottom line is this, there is plenty of money
to go around and everyone, not just the owners like in the cap leagues, are
benefiting from it.
The salary cap will only make the owners richer. Major
League Baseball is always wanting to interest more players to come to their
game instead of the NFL and NBA, maybe using the lack of a salary cap and the
draw of millions and millions of dollars without a cap or floor is just what
they need instead of intense commercials and youth baseball programs. Just
saying.
The salary cap is not coming to Major League Baseball
without a work stoppage, a strike and probably another cancellation of the
World Series. You can take that, and your $217 million check, to the bank.
And then the fans get screwed.
ReplyDeleteJust a note- I learned today that NBA d league (minor affiliate) stream live on YouTube free. MLB charges 20 for milb game access. And they sell cork. And dirt.