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Since this thread is about a potential strike and player unrest over contracts, free agency, service time and salaries and the playoff format is really a different subject, I started a new thread on the latter.
This topic is certainly not going to go away, either…
With all the recent discord over sign stealing, the labor contract story has been pretty quiet recently.
https://t.co/jTw6Tz5Nug Conforto says the union is prepared for a fight. My Story
— Kevin Kernan (@AMBS_Kernan) February 20, 2020
As much as I would love to see Arenado playing 3B for the Cardinals, when I read something like this, it makes me think we should stay away from him because of that $264M contract. If there’s a strike, the fans might very well leave the game again and it might be hard to get them back. Extreme contracts like his could be enough to force a mid-market team like the Cardinals into bankruptcy if the fans aren’t showing up to foot the bill. Also, if the fans aren’t showing up, Arenado might think that he would be able to collect more money by not opting out of his present contract, which would mean that the Cardinals would be stuck with the whole thing.
Mudville wrote: Also, if the fans aren’t showing up, Arenado might think that he would be able to collect more money by not opting out of his present contract, which would mean that the Cardinals would be stuck with the whole thing
I don’t think the Cardinals would be stuck with paying ‘the whole thing’ if Arenado opts-out. They would only pay for the time he played. His opt out voids the remainder of the contract.
If Arenado chose not to opt out, the Cardinals would be liable for 3 more years at $35M, 1 year at $32M, and a final year at $27M. If fans stopped showing up after a strike, the Cardinals would still have to pay that money to Arenado.
If fans stopped showing up after a strike, the Cardinals would still have to pay that money to Arenado.
My question is this: If players strike and fail to show for work are they not in violation of their contracts making them null and void; hence, no big paychecks until new contracts are negotiated? It sounds logical so that means ‘ain’t no way’ I guess.
More logs on the fire of discontent.
MLBPA files second grievances against Pirates, Rays, Marlins over lack of spending https://t.co/9GJQ93KFPZ
— CBS Sports MLB (@CBSSportsMLB) March 7, 2020
Well when are they gonna file a grievance against the cardinals for not spending right or not spending enough. The teams they are filing the grievances against more than likely don’t make near the money the cardinals make. Ive watched their games when they play at home, very few people there. Cant generate much revenue when people don’t show. Even when the cardinals aren’t great, fans still show up in large numbers.
Seems like the simple solution is for the Players’ Association to insist on a payroll floor in the next CBA. It is too bad that some owners are exploiting the bad deal that the players agreed to, but the players have themselves to blame.
I agree there should be a floor. Make it around $90M, which isn’t that onerous considering only five teams currently have a payroll under $90. It could go up each year like the luxury tax does.
Of the three teams mentioned in the article I find the most fault with the Pirates. The Marlins and Rays have no fan base to speak of for the most part but the Pirates do. When the Pirates are playing competitive baseball they can draw 30k-40k for home games. The Marlins and Rays couldn’t draw that much for a world series game. For the Pirates to have the lowest payroll in MLB is a disgrace.
Very interesting take on how the recent strife in the game (along with expiring TV contracts potentially affecting the gravy train) may be helping the owners and players in their negotiations.
ICYMI https://t.co/2nBEyuDwI1… Could the unintended consequence created by instant replay lead to another unintended consequence — labor peace?
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) March 8, 2020
Since every topic is affected by the coronavirus, I am putting this news in a more topical thread.
There appears to be a major disagreement between MLB and the union on how to credit service time this season. If my memory serves me correctly, the players got the full year in both 1981 and 1994, but the financial stakes are higher this time.
Wouldn’t that be something if when the virus threat is past, they sill couldn’t start play due to squabbling over money?
1/Union’s recent proposal was that even if no games were played in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic players would receive full service time for the 2020 season as long as they'd reached certain service time criteria in 2019.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) March 19, 2020
3/service without games played/revenue taken in. Remember service time is an MLB lifeblood impacting arbitration, free agency, pension.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) March 19, 2020
Normally, I would probably not bother posting something like this. But since we all have extra time on our hands for now, what the heck……
Here’s a framework for the next MLB/MLBPA contract. Not much chance of it happening, but there’s no harm in suggesting an idea. It goes like this:
All MLB teams open their books on everything that brings baseball related income to the team. Count it all up and see how much is really there. Then, start dividing it up.
I’ m going to say that whoever provided the bricks and mortar should be paid first. That’s the way it works in the real world. There has to be a percentage of the value of the stadiums/buildings that can be paid out as a return to whomever put up the money for the properties. If it’s a civil entity that put up the money, that entity gets paid If individuals put up the money, they should get paid a return on their investment. If there is a loan on the stadiums/offices, that should be taken into consideration. The bean counters could figure out how to handle it. From now on the MLB is going to pay for interest/rent on all stadiums, parking garages, and other buildings that are used to generate income for teams. The bean counters can figure out how much money that is.Next designate money to be paid to ownership and all operational staff including front office personnel, managers, coaches, trainers, scouts, and anybody that is currently getting paid by an MLB team. Also, set aside money for union staff and their support personnel plus their office space and expense accounts. The players don’t pay the union themselves, rather, that money comes out of the gross revenue along with all the other expenses.
Now figure out how much money will be needed to pay expenses related to player contracts. This would likely require a salary cap. Players could still become free agents, but teams would have to be careful about how much they spend. I also think that a standardized contract for players should be developed and implemented. I don’t think a player who gets injured should get paid the full amount of his contract while injured. I think a player who is injured at work should go on workman’s comp, or some derivative of workman’s comp, like all the rest of us. Maybe he should get 80% of the major league minimum which would still be around $17,000. a week which is plenty of money for anybody. The amount saved would go back into the revenue that is left over after all the set asides. It would be allocated for future expenses or distributed as bonuses after the season. Something similar to this should be added to the standard contract for players whose performance drops off substantially after signing. There’s a way to figure out something reasonable and fair for players, fans, and teams when a player loses motivation or just can’t cut it anymore.
Next figure out how much money is needed to responsibly and humanely take care of minor league teams and players. The bean counters can figure all this out. That’s what they do. Set that money aside.
Figure out how much to set aside for stadium improvements, and whatever other capital expenditures are needed and/or wanted. Set that money aside. Money for all capital improvements is all coming out of the same MLB pot from now on.
After all the set asides are determined and set aside, count how much money is left over. Take that money and distribute it as bonuses to all personnel including owners, all office staff, union personnel, coaches, trainers, managers, and, again, everyone who is connected to creating revenue for MLB.
Revise and improve as necessary based on dialogue and needs/desires. For example, the amount of money set aside for capital improvements may need to be increased or lowered.
The set asides, of course, would need to be used for whatever they were set aside for.
Repeat yearly.
With this format no one is getting super rich, but everyone is getting compensated fairly, and everything is getting done.
I think the millennials, including players and fans, would be all in on this. It’s part Bernie Sanders and part Donald Trump, and a few names in between.
Naturally, other ideas, and the various legalities would have to be considered.
An explanation of why the players would not want to give up a year of service time. Whether or not you agree, it is another illustration of the importance of labor negotiations that must be concluded before play could resume, whether this year or next.
I wrote about why the service time discussions between players and owners are such a huge deal. https://t.co/MpNIudXju4
— Craig Edwards (@craigjedwards) March 24, 2020
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