MLB 2026 Off season

Wobbie

JeBurkhardt said:

Jearlpam0925 said:

Wobbie said:

Jearlpam0925 said:

If there's a team dumb enough to give him $50MM/yr it's the Mets. But I love Tucker.

Also, scratch that - every fan should want their owner to throw money around like it's nothing.

there’s an ongoing debate about “cheap owners.” some points are valid but it’s also true that some teams have huge financial advantages. others have huge disadvantages.

Sorry can't have any sympathy to the idea of broke owners. I always come back to the idea that the sport needs a salary floor more than a cap.

I did a search and based on 2024 numbers, the lowest team revenue was $257M. 24 teams had payroll less than $257M.Only 9 teams had a revenue/payroll ratio of over 50%. The money is there to spend on payroll to improve the team if they want to.  

there’s plenty of talk about “cheap owners” who don’t care about winning and only care about lining their pockets.

there’s also plenty of talk about how the d*dgers are “ruining the game.”

I think both are true. the so called “small market” teams could offer ridiculous contracts to a few players….not to entire starting nine like the d*dgers….if you have $257M in revenue, you can’t have a $400M payroll like the d*dgers. and even if the pirates had offered 4/240M to tucker, would he go there? and would the d*dgers then just offer 4/250?

finally, I’m tired of the narrative that the d*dgers “are smart and draft and develop well.” how fucking “smart” do you have to be to sign every top FA? it’s not like they’re taking a chance on these guys (and if they do turn out badly, it doesn’t even matter….they’ll just buy replacements). as far as drafting and developing, they don’t….smith, muncy and pages are the only guys they drafted. with the addition of tucker, I’m not even sure pages plays anymore. most of their so-called prospects (may, lux, outman, etc. have turnedout to be very average).

as pjhawks said, this can’t be good for baseball. the only upside is more and more people are coming around to hating the d*dgers as I ALWAYS have.

Wobbie

Johnny Abruzzo said:

Wobbie said:

pjhawks said:

No one can argue Kyle Tucker getting 60 million per year is good for the game.  

 

he earned it….22 HR, 73 RBI, .266 BA in 2025. a modern day Willie Mays!

What was his WAR?

4.5. 45 guys higher. less than half of aaron judge, tied with dansby swanson.

Johnny Abruzzo

Wobbie said:

JeBurkhardt said:

Jearlpam0925 said:

Wobbie said:

Jearlpam0925 said:

If there's a team dumb enough to give him $50MM/yr it's the Mets. But I love Tucker.

Also, scratch that - every fan should want their owner to throw money around like it's nothing.

there’s an ongoing debate about “cheap owners.” some points are valid but it’s also true that some teams have huge financial advantages. others have huge disadvantages.

Sorry can't have any sympathy to the idea of broke owners. I always come back to the idea that the sport needs a salary floor more than a cap.

I did a search and based on 2024 numbers, the lowest team revenue was $257M. 24 teams had payroll less than $257M.Only 9 teams had a revenue/payroll ratio of over 50%. The money is there to spend on payroll to improve the team if they want to.  

there’s plenty of talk about “cheap owners” who don’t care about winning and only care about lining their pockets.

there’s also plenty of talk about how the d*dgers are “ruining the game.”

I think both are true. the so called “small market” teams could offer ridiculous contracts to a few players….not to entire starting nine like the d*dgers….if you have $257M in revenue, you can’t have a $400M payroll like the d*dgers. and even if the pirates had offered 4/240M to tucker, would he go there? and would the d*dgers then just offer 4/250?

finally, I’m tired of the narrative that the d*dgers “are smart and draft and develop well.” how fucking “smart” do you have to be to sign every top FA? it’s not like they’re taking a chance on these guys (and if they do turn out badly, it doesn’t even matter….they’ll just buy replacements). as far as drafting and developing, they don’t….smith, muncy and pages are the only guys they drafted. with the addition of tucker, I’m not even sure pages plays anymore. most of their so-called prospects (may, lux, outman, etc. have turnedout to be very average).

as pjhawks said, this can’t be good for baseball. the only upside is more and more people are coming around to hating the d*dgers as I ALWAYS have.

Correct. No talent or skill involved in buying up all the players. The Phillies have done a good bit of this as well, but certainly not to that level.

Wobbie

My “dynasty” Giants did it with drafted players posey, bumgarner, lincecum, crawford, sandoval, cain and belt, along with scrap heap pickups ross and scutaro and a basically unknown bullpen. Will that ever happen again? I can’t see it…

tempo_n_groove

pjhawks said:

No one can argue Kyle Tucker getting 60 million per year is good for the game.  

The lockout after next year is going to be brutal,  the small market teams need to organize and get major changes to the salary structure changed significantly.  As a Phillies fan I’m a fan of a team that spends a lot but I know it’s not good for the game.  Manfred allowing the Dodgers to defer so much salary especially for Ohtani was a complete failure as commissioner.  

NFL does deferring all the time.  I don't see a problem with it.  Kyle Tucker getting 60 a year IS a problem.

tempo_n_groove

Wobbie said:

pjhawks said:

No one can argue Kyle Tucker getting 60 million per year is good for the game.  

 

he earned it….22 HR, 73 RBI, .266 BA in 2025. a modern day Willie Mays!

He was hurt part of the  year.  He is a 30/30 type player with above average fielding in the outfield.

He is coming into his prime years now.

That being said he isn't worth 60 mill a year.

tempo_n_groove

Jearlpam0925 said:

JeBurkhardt said:

Jearlpam0925 said:

Wobbie said:

Jearlpam0925 said:

If there's a team dumb enough to give him $50MM/yr it's the Mets. But I love Tucker.

Also, scratch that - every fan should want their owner to throw money around like it's nothing.

there’s an ongoing debate about “cheap owners.” some points are valid but it’s also true that some teams have huge financial advantages. others have huge disadvantages.

Sorry can't have any sympathy to the idea of broke owners. I always come back to the idea that the sport needs a salary floor more than a cap.

I did a search and based on 2024 numbers, the lowest team revenue was $257M. 24 teams had payroll less than $257M.Only 9 teams had a revenue/payroll ratio of over 50%. The money is there to spend on payroll to improve the team if they want to.  

And moreso I don't think these "small market" owners can cry for a cap when they gladly accept their welfare checks from the luxury tax & other revenue sharing splits.

My thoughts are you can have a cap and still have small market teams collect these "welfare checks"(that's funny btw).

The problem is those small market teams don't care about actually winning.  They'll need lightning in a bottle to make it to a WS.  Sometimes they can sniff the wildcard but that's about it.

tempo_n_groove

Tucker is not worth the 60 mill a year.  Top 5 OF or not, just no.

I am welcoming a cap.  Bring it.  Spending by the Dodgers is making George Steinbrenner blush right now.

Deferred payments are here to stay.  Owners will be sure to charge you, the paying customer for their overspending.

If the teams get that lopsided in talent then most of baseball will be unwatchable.  Thank God the White Sox had a good draft this year, maybe that'll help those poor sob's...

Wobbie

there's easy fix....I believe tempo is way more of an NBA fan than I....I won't pretend to understand the NBA's luxury tax>first apron>second apron thing but I believe there are much more punitive measures if you "overspend"...loss of draft picks, restrictions on trading, etc...the luxury tax in baseball doesn't work. it's only money to the d*dgers.

BTW, the d*dgers TV deal gives them $334M annually; the brewers get 1/10th that.

eeriepadave

Bo Bichette to the Mets 😐

tempo_n_groove

Wobbie said:

there's easy fix....I believe tempo is way more of an NBA fan than I....I won't pretend to understand the NBA's luxury tax>first apron>second apron thing but I believe there are much more punitive measures if you "overspend"...loss of draft picks, restrictions on trading, etc...the luxury tax in baseball doesn't work. it's only money to the d*dgers.

BTW, the d*dgers TV deal gives them $334M annually; the brewers get 1/10th that.

Do u remember when they signed that deal? 25 years for 8 Billion dollars!

Loss of draft picks in baseball is a minor offense.  You have 22 rounds of drafting then an international draft where they are signing 12year olds...

Remember the Braves getting popped and having to let go of their picks.  Maitan, a highly touted prospect they drafted, got picked up by the Halos.  he never panned out and the Braves still won a WS a few years afterwards.

tempo_n_groove

eeriepadave said:

Bo Bichette to the Mets 😐

Good pick up for them.

Edit:  Is he moving over to third ala Arod?

Wobbie

Wobbie said:

there's easy fix....I believe tempo is way more of an NBA fan than I....I won't pretend to understand the NBA's luxury tax>first apron>second apron thing but I believe there are much more punitive measures if you "overspend"...loss of draft picks, restrictions on trading, etc...the luxury tax in baseball doesn't work. it's only money to the d*dgers.

BTW, the d*dgers TV deal gives them $334M annually; the brewers get 1/10th that.

I meant to say "there's NO easy fix"...

and I do think losing draft picks is kind of a big deal...the astros lost draft picks, due to trashcangate, and the rating of their minor league system went from like #5 to bottom five. that said, I think "minor league ratings" are kind of garbage.

Poncier

Johnny Abruzzo said:

Wobbie said:

pjhawks said:

No one can argue Kyle Tucker getting 60 million per year is good for the game.  

 

he earned it….22 HR, 73 RBI, .266 BA in 2025. a modern day Willie Mays!

What was his WAR?

Korean War I think, but maybe WWII.

SPEEDY MCCREADY

Poncier said:

Johnny Abruzzo said:

Wobbie said:

pjhawks said:

No one can argue Kyle Tucker getting 60 million per year is good for the game.  

 

he earned it….22 HR, 73 RBI, .266 BA in 2025. a modern day Willie Mays!

What was his WAR?

Korean War I think, but maybe WWII.

The War of the Roses 

Hawkshore

SPEEDY MCCREADY said:

Poncier said:

Johnny Abruzzo said:

Wobbie said:

pjhawks said:

No one can argue Kyle Tucker getting 60 million per year is good for the game.  

 

he earned it….22 HR, 73 RBI, .266 BA in 2025. a modern day Willie Mays!

What was his WAR?

Korean War I think, but maybe WWII.

The War of the Roses 

But what is it Good For!