Selig's plan to balance baseball...

[Marc]

Check out: http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2000/1225/973654.html

The worst eight teams in baseball would be able to select players from the top eight in a new "competitive balance draft" proposed by commissioner Bud Selig.


The teams with the eight highest winning percentages over the previous three years would be able to protect just 25 players apiece in the draft, according to a 37-page memorandum sent to teams last week and obtained by The Associated Press.

Thoughts on this?

[iFroggy]

So... is this like the expansion draft or something?

[lmanchur.]

I think this would work, but I do not think it should be implemented -- I just don't think it's right and I, in the simplest terms, don't like it.

[Marc]

If the MLB would just implement a salary cap, things would be a lot more fair. No longer would the Yankees be able to buy any player they want. :)

I don't really like this plan, though.

[adam_shep]

I don't really like this. Its not fair for teams to lose some of their young prospects who they have worked so hard to develop, simply because they are winning.

[Wedge231]

Yeah, I think salary cap is the answer.

[adam_shep]

I believe they already have a salary cap. But its a "soft cap". Teams like the Yankees who exceed it are made to pay some kind of fine. Of course, when you have all the money the Yankees do, this doesn't make much difference.

[iFroggy]

Any player they want... hmm... let me read you the list of people that are home grown:

Jorge Posada
Derek Jeter
Bernie Williams
Andy Pettitte
Mariano Rivera
... more

Pretty impressive, eh?

BTW, we can't buy any player we want... and have never. Are you saying we didn't want Sosa, Hampton, A-Rod, Manny, Drefort... on and on and on and on. Some of you just have some kind of problem, the big name players hardly ever come to us. We made one somewhat large signing this offseason, Mussina, the cheapest of all the big ones, we strive to keep our OWN players. The Rockies signed both Hampton and Neagle... say something about them for awhile. :D

[Wedge231]

Wow, this looks familiar. Well Mets have like no home grown guys. Alfonzo. Ummmm, exactly.

I think salary cap would be good to increase competition since all the big teams have so much money and always get the best players. Baseball get increasingly boring every year. It is always Yankees, Red Sox, Braves, Mets, etc.

[lmanchur.]

a salary cap!?... hmph!

...anyone hear that report at mid season that the MLB would like all teams to have a minimum payroll of... ummm... I forget what the number was, but there were a few teams that weren't even CLOSE to that number.

[iFroggy]

A "soft cap" might be a good thing to do. I don't know about fines, but a pool for the lower market teams.

I also think a "minimum" cap should be made. Meaning that each team must spend a certain amount on payroll. This would, no doubt, take out some "competitive embalance." Because, people will have to spend a certain amount on payroll and thus will have to sign people. This would be good for the fans.

[Marc]

Originally posted by iFroggy
A "soft cap" might be a good thing to do. I don't know about fines, but a pool for the lower market teams.

I also think a "minimum" cap should be made. Meaning that each team must spend a certain amount on payroll. This would, no doubt, take out some "competitive embalance." Because, people will have to spend a certain amount on payroll and thus will have to sign people. This would be good for the fans.
Yeah, but the teams aren't going to have the money to be able to sign players up to a certain amount of money - and the top way they are going to get money is by having more fans show up for the games - they have to be competitive in the first place to get the fans. I don't think your plan would work.

[iFroggy]

You see... the owners do have the money and with new soft cap rules... fines will go to teams they will have more money and when they sign bigger name guys, more fans will come, possibly TV stations or whatever will pay more for rights. I just don't think a team shouldn't be able to pay nothing on players and complain.

[Boomer]

No one seems to like the idea for the top 8 drafting players from the bottom 8 but I think it's a great idea. However, if it's implemented incorrectly, it could be absolutly awful for example, the teams losing players would be able to protect a certain number of players on their roster (I think it was 25 but i'm not sure) if the number of players is too high, the talent that the "lesser" are drafting could be only a negligable improvment (or even no improvment) on what they already have. Also, if the number is too low, the teams making asstute trades and being succesful are punished (for example, I believe that the red sox would qualify for the plan and lose players or a player, whatever, but they could hardly be accused of "throwing money at the team". most of their cash must be tied up in the new ballpark).
The other potential problem is loopholes in the wording like when the bigger teams (and I don't quite get how this works) used the 60 day DL to make players aquired after the post-season deadline eligable for post season play. Maybe they could use their minor league system to protect players or somthing. I mean it's hardly fair to take players from triple A or even double A affiliates just because the major league team plays well a couple of years on the trot right?

[Marc]

I don't think this idea would work. Will the 26th best guy on the Yankees make the Twins competitive? Not at all, but baseball is just trying to fool everyone into thinking they are trying to make it competitive.

[Wedge231]

I agree with Marc. But hey, the Yankees are so talented that their 26th guy probably would improve the Twins.

[Rick Dogg]

You guys are missing the point if you just look at it as some team's 26th best guy. It is a great way to get teams minor league prospects. Take the Yankees for example, Let's say that the yankees protect 25 of there people in the majors right now. That would make it possible for a team like the Expos to take a player like Drew Henson, if he didnt get traded. A team cannot protect all of their starters and prospects, thus teams can pick up some good young players. At least Bud Selig is trying to do something.

[iFroggy]

Yeah its not that bad. I think it could work fine, but they'll always be complainers, no matter what efforts are put into effect.

[Wedge231]

It should work, whatever team that gets the Yankees 26th guy will be sure to win the next World Series.