Saturday Sound Off: Salary Cap

Saturday Sound Off

Our Chance to Complain About Things We Think We Know About

Salary Caps.  They are nothing new to professional sports.  In fact, almost every major sport in America other than Baseball has one.  

The discussion about a lack of a cap in baseball is nothing new and the things I'm about to say are not revolutionary, but I feel that they can't be said enough...

 

MLB needs a salary cap.  

I've heard the argument that letting teams build and keep clubs together for long periods of time is good for the game.  I kind of buy that.  I've also heard the argument that letting teams become dynasties is good for the game.  I don't buy that at all.

Other people tell me that baseball doesn't need a salary cap.  They say the league has parody and they might be right.  If the season ended today the Orioles, Pirates, Nationals, and the Dodgers would all make the playoffs.  Nobody had all four of those teams in there before Opening Day.

Still...I'm not buying this "free market" thing and I realize calling for a spending limit in "America's Past Time" might come off as a bit...odd.   Hear me out.

Early yesterday I started to hear rumors that the Orioles and Nationals were both looking to trade for Zack Greinke and offer him contract extensions.  Ecstasy!  You throw Greinke into either of those rotations and they immediately become real-deal contenders. (In the Nats case realer-deal contenders) Sure the odds of those rumors actually being true are basically zero, but I could still dream.

...O wait no I can't.  The Yankees, Rangers, and Red Soxs are also trying to get their hands on Zack.

Any fan-dreams of Strasburg, Gio, Greinke, and Zimm sweeping their way to a World Series win were gone.  Any research into the possible O's prospects that could be sent to the Brewers for Greinke ended.  Who was I kidding, my local teams can't, and never have, been able to compete when it comes to courting players.  

Remember Prince Fielder this summer...

Maybe I'm bitter from being a fan of a team in the same division as the Red Sox and Yankees for so long.  

Maybe I miss crunching numbers to see if my favorite team could afford a certain player like I do in hockey.

I mean...the Nats seem to be doing just find in this system and Tampa Bay is another example that smaller market teams can make it.  Maybe everything is alright.

...A-rod and Teixeira made 53,125,000 for this season.  The Pirates entire payroll is 51,932,333.

Never mind, that's messed up.