Podcast: Owners Economics Proposal Falls Flat

In the latest CBA negotiations, MLB’s owners proposed economic changes to the Players Association. Focusing on updating the Super 2 payment structure, minimizing service time manipulation, and offering an International Draft.

Josh and Jim comb through the reported offerings pointing out the faults of the Owner’s proposal. Are these offerings good enough to keep the Players Association at the table to talk? If not, does that put the start of Spring Training at risk?

With the International Signing period this weekend, they also share their early thoughts on Oscar Colas and Erick Hernandez.

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HallofFrank

One other thing about the absurdity of the owner’s proposal to give draft picks as a way to avoid service time manipulation: not only would it not solve many cases of manipulation, it could actually encourage manipulation in some cases. Suppose it’s July or August (a la when the Sox brought up Moncada or Kopech) and you’ve got a stud performing in AAA. Why not hold him down until opening day to let him have a shot at ROY next year? So, you’re not manipulating for an extra year of control, but for the chance at an extra draft pick.

However, I think enemy #1 here is tanking. Eliminate taking and teams will be more likely to call up their top prospects. And I know it’s controversial, but expanded playoffs will help that. Let’s get expanded playoffs!

joewho112

Unless you expand the playoffs to like 25 teams, that won’t stop tanking.

HallofFrank

Notice I said it would “help,” not stop altogether. But it would help quite a bit. You’re right that there’s a handful of teams that might tank, anyway. Currently, teams like the Orioles, Pirates, or D’Backs come to mind. But expanded playoffs would help keep those bubble teams interested in trying, or trying more than they currently are. Teams like the A’s, Royals (perennially), maybe Guardians?, Marlins, Nats, Reds, Cubs, Rockies. You’d see less tanking, for sure.

knoxfire30

14 team playoff is disgusting, makes a 162 regular season almost meaningless. Id prefer less teams in as oppose to more from the current system.

I have no idea why Colas is already being cast as a 1b/LF type. Seems like a good enough athlete from limited video. He obviously has a good arm, hopefully the sox give him every opportunity to play RF.

Seems the owners and players remain shockingly far apart, their apathy towards doing anything meaningful the last couple years in terms of resolving the new deal is gonna bite them in the behind. At this point it would be a shock for spring training to start on time and if I had to lay money down id take the over on games starting after what should be opening day.

Augusto Barojas

I would be more surprised if the season started on time than if the whole season gets cancelled.

HallofFrank

Expanded playoffs wouldn’t make the regular season meaningless. You’re still thinking in a system where making the playoffs is all that matters (like the old, 8 team system), and the difference between best record and wild card is negligible.

But the expanded playoffs arguably raises the stakes for regular-season games. A first-round bye is an enormous incentive for good teams to push at the end of the season. Take the ’21 White Sox. They basically shifted to neutral in September, because the only thing they were playing for was home field advantage. The possibility of the bye might have been incentive enough. But even if the bye to TB was a given, they would have been competing for “first pick” of the wild card teams with the Astros. In ’21, that’s the difference between the Mariners and either the Jays/BoSox/Yanks. I doubt rest would have been so important. We would have watched a much more competitive September in the expanded format.

Last edited 2 years ago by HallofFrank
joewho112

Old friend alert: Melky Cabrera retires 48 hits shy of 2,000

asinwreck

Happy Marco Paddy Day, everyone.