The State of MLB

[Cubs GM - Monty]

A thread to vent and scream and cry about the state of our beloved game this week...

I don't know about all of you, but I am struggling with my MLB fandom right now. Canceling of Opening Day and deadline missed was a gut punch, and I don't know if this goes on for another month or so how I will feel about MLB. I will still love baseball, but maybe not MLB. I have good college teams and a Single A team I have partial season tickets to, so I can still enjoy the game. But if this gets ugly, and this drags on until April or May, I am worried I will just walk away from MLB.

Both sides have blame, but I don't see how the owners are taking most of the heat. I think this is 70/30 with MLBPA being the bigger problem. They did a poor job on the last couple of CBAs, and tried to make it all back up in one negotiation. They set unrealistic goals and then got mad when they did not get them all. They wanted earlier FA AND arbitration. They also wanted $100M for a reward fund for young players, and the biggest minimum salary raise in history. They claim they wanted competitive balance, but rejected an opportunity to get a minimum payroll floor because they did not want a salary cap.

In the end, they got the raise in minimum salary, a universal DH, $30M for the reward fund, anti-tanking measures including a draft lottery, the playoff format they wanted, and it still was not good enough. And they rejected the mediators that the owners asked for to help facilitate the deal and avoid canceling games. That is why I balme them for me being mad at MLB right now.

Anyone have any words of wisdom to keep me sane??

[Phillies GM (Matt)]

Don’t ask me… I’m liable to push us both over the edge. Sick of the nonsense. Totally agree they tried making up for previous negotiations on this one. I’m hanging on for dear life but a lost season might lose me as I coach little league and get plenty of fix and enjoy seeing the young guys developing.

[Blue Jays (Ryan)]

Ugh....I think we all need a thread like this
Its like screaming on the edge of a cliff....

Background, I am a hockey fan from the age of 5...Saturday night was Leafs vs whoever. It didn't matter, anything else that night was secondary.
When the last labor dispute occurred in 2004-05 and we didnt have hockey Saturday night, we missed it. Then as the weeks went on, less and less

Not saying that baseball will meet the same fate for myself, but I have to say if it caries on too long it feels all too similar.

[Marlins (Mario)]

I think both players and owner deserve equal blame for this and the only ones the will be hurt are the fans that will pay even more to go see a game. I still think they will come to an agreement in a week or so.

[Guardians - (Steve)]

Billionaires vs Millionaires. Gotta love it.

[Cubs GM - Monty]

I have been hearing the average MLB career is only 2-3 years and they need to make as much money as possible argument.

So imagine a guy debuts in MLB about 26 as a middle reliever and hangs around 3 years. Nothing special, just an average forgettable middle reliever and eventually reaches arbitration and out of the league and replaced with a cheaper but equally talented guy before 30.

Unless he blew all his money on hookers and cocaine, he should easily have $1M in the bank. So you mean to tell me we should all feel bad for a 30 year old guy who played MLB and is financially set for life? He can do whatever he wants, he can golf or fish on his boat everyday if he wants.

Sign me up for this life. Hearing the union say they devoted their whole life to this pursuit and only have a short window to make their money is ridiculous. In 2-3 years in MLB you can make enough money to be set up for life.

[Phillies GM (Matt)]

I agree. Additionally, while owners are clearly loaded … should one investing huge dollar amounts and putting it at risk not receive higher compensation proportional to his employees? I mean nobody sheds a tear if that guys franchise becomes a bottom feeder team and his pot of money now isn’t what it was? I’m biased, but ask me and I think unions in general are typically nothing but problems. I’d sooner close up my business than allow union in my facilities