Baseball Owners Intentionally Weakening Their Teams at Major League Level
The Real Ball Game:
Let's face it, owning a Major League Baseball (MLB) team ain't about winning. It's about being stingy and saving every dime you can get your hands on.
Instead of snapping up veterans who can help secure those precious W's, many owners prefer keeping their wallets full by pinching pennies and hiring less-talented, cheap grunts.
Take the Pittsburgh Pirates, for instance. They've got Paul Skenes, arguably the best pitcher in the game, a gang of promising youngsters, and Oneil Cruz, who's been balling out this season. But they've also got a lousy roster filled with journeymen and underdogs who couldn't make the big leagues if they tried. Which is a shame, 'cause you've got guys like David Robertson waiting in the wings. Robertson had a terrific 2024 season, but he's still sitting on the bench, because the Pirates ain't got the dough to pay him his $11.5 million asking price.
It's the same story all over the league. The Boston Red Sox could use a player like Kirby Yates, who had one of the best seasons of any reliever last year. But they're passing him up, 'cause they don't want to shell out $13 million for his talent. And the Washington Nationals? They've got the worst bullpen in the league, with a 7.41 ERA on average. They could use some help, but instead, they're relying on a gang of rookies that make Boston's starting lineup look like the New York Yankees.
Now, we ain't saying that the Yankees and the Dodgers shouldn't spend their dough. But smaller teams should be investing around the margins to improve their rosters. Instead, they're letting their cheaper, less-skilled players sit on the bench while veterans languish in free agency. It's a shame, 'cause it's only making the competitive balance in the sport worse.
The Bottom Line:
All in all, the MLB has its own share of hustlers who are more interested in their wallets than their team's success. These strategies may help smaller market teams maintain financial stability, but they're only making the league less competitive and worsening the divide between the big spenders and small time teams. The upcoming collective bargaining agreement (CBA) discussions might address these issues by considering new revenue sharing models or even implementing a salary cap to level the playing field. Until then, we'll just have to sit back and witness the circus.
- The Pittsburgh Pirates, despite having a promising roster and a top-tier pitcher like Paul Skenes, are hampered by a limited salary budget, causing them to overlook talented veterans such as David Robertson.
- The Boston Red Sox, despite needing a player like Kirby Yates who had an exceptional season, choose to avoid spending his salary of $13 million, favoring a more cost-effective roster.
- The Washington Nationals, struggling with the worst bullpen in the league, opt to rely on a rookie team rather than investing in skilled veterans, similar to the Pirates and Red Sox.
- The MLB, with teams prioritizing cost-cutting over roster improvement, is driving a competitive imbalance, leaving smaller market teams stagnant and unable to challenge big spenders like the Yankees and Dodgers, pending changes in the upcoming collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which may introduce revenue sharing models or a salary cap.
