NFT: Yankees Chat

Machado it’s unclear at this point. Until he signs I think they’re still in it. They’re probably just waiting to see where his price comes in at rather than getting into a bidding war.

anything being written now is mostly just because nothing is happening and I realize that.

In comment 14255108 Strahan91 said:

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Machado it’s unclear at this point. Until he signs I think they’re still in it. They’re probably just waiting to see where his price comes in at rather than getting into a bidding war.

Fair enough, but say they pass on both, is it the right move?

The White Sox are the only team so far to have made an formal offer. Both the Yanks and Phillies are still in discussion, and neither team has submitted a formal offer.

Aren't the only players with potential big paydays down the road; Sanchez, Gleyber, Andujar, Didi and possibly Hicks are all in line and building their cases for big paydays as well.

in Las Vegas.

Manny's probably wanting to wait to see what happens there and Yanks see no reason to have an offer hanging in the meantime.

If Phils win Harper, good for Yanks. If not, and Phils are left with stupid money to spend, good for Manny.

Are under the 300 million mark. Chicago is the wild card. They could spend because they have to. Also, I heard if the money is equal he'd choose the Yanks. Philly is set to meet with Harper maybe to put pressure on Machado to make a decision even though Philly still says they are in on Machado.

My take is that Machado is leaning toward the Yanks right now just because he didn't get the offer he wanted from any team. There is no reason to make a decision now so he is waiting. The teams aren't really deeling pressure. I also heard no formal offer has been made to him by the Yanks or Phils.

I personally like the approach the Yanks are taking. We are the Yankees. We shouldn't have to pay top dollar to get talent similar to the Pats in the NFL. Yes, the NFL has a salary cap and are differenf sports but the Yanks have been burned by these long ass contracts many times before.

will be off the payroll before anyone needs to worry about paying full freight on Judge, Gleyber, Andujar, Severino:

Ellsbury
Chapman
Tanaka (maybe they re-sign? maybe not)
Happ
Sabathia
Gardner
Britton (probably)

That's almost $100M annually.

They have plenty of flexibility, the term structure of their salary commitments graphs out quite nicely.

Maybe they pick 1-2 of the young ones and lock them up early to save a few bucks down the road. Hasn't been their MO in quite a few years (but they also haven't had success building a dynasty in quite a few years).

There's also a surefire (and severe) labor dispute on the near horizon which could alter the rules of engagement quite a bit.

I don't see any reason to fret.

they want to see NYY compete financially with Boston, who has a higher payroll and a greater willingness to eat money. On paper are they a better team than last year? It's close. The loss of Didi hurts a lot, and even if healthy I doubt Tulo provides anywhere near the impact Didi did in the field and at the plate. He was also important as a lefty bat, and right now we really lack one of consequence in the lineup unless Bird is a lot better than he was last year. And the infield is a huge defensive question mark. Voit is an awful defender, Andujar is bad, and Tulo is a significant question mark. Torres is the closest to a reliable and that's questionable.

But the rotation could be significantly better, the bullpen is deep, and the lineup (warts and all) is still a top 2-3 lineup in baseball.

I'd feel more comfortable passing on Manny and Harper if they had a real contingency plan for SS/2B.

In comment 14255119 Beer Man said:

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Aren't the only players with potential big paydays down the road; Sanchez, Gleyber, Andujar, Didi and possibly Hicks are all in line and building their cases for big paydays as well.

This is exactly why neither Harper nor Machado will become Yankees!

but only if the term is right, say 7/$225-250 range. If he goes elsewhere I'd like to see the Yanks sign Marwin Gonzalez and Moustakas. Both can play 3rd and 1st base. Gonzalez can play some OF. Both would probably cost less than Manny combined and be for a shorter term. And we need some lefty bats in the lineup anyway.

If Harper signs with Philly then it's a couples years and we can chase Trout for center field.

but they've clearly prioritized the pen, and if they lose Chapman, Betances and Britton they're likely to spend to replace them. Hopefully you've got homegrown replacements for CC and for Paxton a year later, but you may not.

...out there who have vivid memories of George Steinbrenner throwing money around like it's Rotisserie Baseball.

But there's a different Steinbrenner running the team now, and as someone else posted earlier there are huge paydays for several young Yankee stars.

Translation: Dream on about Harper or Machado, but neither one will be wearing Pinstripes.

but he's going to get paid off of a 2017 that was as much a flash in the pan as anything else. He's a reliable, versatile 2-WAR guy, but historically he's been a low-.700s OPS hitter other than that one superb year.

Starting pitching!!!!!!

In comment 14255156 GMAN4LIFE said:

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Starting pitching!!!!!!

I don't mean to be rude but no shit. The problem is that there are no legit SP FA that improve us much and Machado isn't preventing us from signing a top SP.

In comment 14255147 Dunedin81 said:

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but they've clearly prioritized the pen, and if they lose Chapman, Betances and Britton they're likely to spend to replace them. Hopefully you've got homegrown replacements for CC and for Paxton a year later, but you may not.

of course. Point is, they have flexibility. The bad contracts are all damn close to over. The fact that we can see tough decisions in the future is a good indication that there are a lot of assets. If you don't have those tough decisions in front of you, it's probably a good indicator that you're not going to have a lot of sustained success.

and is a pending FA after the season. One of the best SS/3B to hit the market in a decade and a half is a free agent.

"But the Yankees need starting pitching!"

exposure in NY Media market and possible endorsements count in addition to salary?

In comment 14255175 robbieballs2003 said:

Quote:

In comment 14255156 GMAN4LIFE said: Quote: Starting pitching!!!!!! I don't mean to be rude but no shit. The problem is that there are no legit SP FA that improve us much and Machado isn't preventing us from signing a top SP.

true but something is better than nothing. We need bodies. Proven bodies to then get the real players up from the farm. Anyone at this point.

They need to focus on that.

In comment 14255184 Dunedin81 said:

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and is a pending FA after the season. One of the best SS/3B to hit the market in a decade and a half is a free agent. "But the Yankees need starting pitching!"

sure... get it but then they still need starting pitching first and foremost. Pitching is the biggest help

In comment 14255136 Dunedin81 said:

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they want to see NYY compete financially with Boston, who has a higher payroll and a greater willingness to eat money. On paper are they a better team than last year? It's close. The loss of Didi hurts a lot, and even if healthy I doubt Tulo provides anywhere near the impact Didi did in the field and at the plate. He was also important as a lefty bat, and right now we really lack one of consequence in the lineup unless Bird is a lot better than he was last year. And the infield is a huge defensive question mark. Voit is an awful defender, Andujar is bad, and Tulo is a significant question mark. Torres is the closest to a reliable and that's questionable. But the rotation could be significantly better, the bullpen is deep, and the lineup (warts and all) is still a top 2-3 lineup in baseball. I'd feel more comfortable passing on Manny and Harper if they had a real contingency plan for SS/2B.

I completely disagree on the thought that the Yanks need to spend money like they print it or something. That's how you end up with Ellsbury deals.

Now, I think that the Yanks are playing this smart. They likely know that all things being equal, Manny wants to play in NY. However, the Yanks see no reason to bid against themselves. They can wait for the field to present their best offers and then they can present an offer that is at least competitive with the others- and expect to win the bidding.

I do think that Cashman might have concerns that if he signs Manny, that will necessitate other moves- at the least, moving Andujar off 3B to some other position or trade him- but that creates problems too.

I also think people are drastically underestimating Tulo's impact. Obviously at 34 years old, he is not going to be 2009-2014 Tulo with the bat, but if he is 2016 Tulo, that's good enough.

People also appear to forget that Tulo has always been an outstanding defensive SS- he has at least two well deserved Gold Gloves.

Tulo does come with some injury history- but the bone spur operations may resolve some of the lower body issues- and the year and a half off may well help his recovery. Remember when ARod got suspended (and injured) and missed a year plus? He came back in his mid-30's and had an outstanding season- likely because he was healthy and rested (as well as the fact that he was a star to begin with).

Back to topic though- I think that it might be February before Harper or Machado sign- simply because the expected $400M market isn't there for them. The Nats are reportedly offering over $300M for Harper- and appear to be making the largest offer- but obviously, with Boras as his agent- Harper is looking for more than that.

I think Machado's market is even slower- and he isn't even getting a Harper offer- and might not ever get it. Still, I think he and his agent know that if he is in NY, he gets a ton of outside revenue through endorsements and the like in NYC.

Let's settle down with the panic in January- the FA market is historically slow and just because the Yanks haven't spent yet doesn't mean that they won't.

In comment 14255196 GMAN4LIFE said:

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In comment 14255175 robbieballs2003 said: Quote: In comment 14255156 GMAN4LIFE said: Quote: Starting pitching!!!!!! I don't mean to be rude but no shit. The problem is that there are no legit SP FA that improve us much and Machado isn't preventing us from signing a top SP. true but something is better than nothing. We need bodies. Proven bodies to then get the real players up from the farm. Anyone at this point. They need to focus on that.

That's nice. Who, pray tell, should they be pursuing? Past-peak Bumgarner? Past-peak Keuchel? If Max Scherzer at age 29 was on the open market and the Yankees weren't a player I'd be right there with you, but there is nothing resembling an ace available right now. Kluber or Bauer are going to require the Yankees to take a bite out of the MLB team. My guess is the pricetag starts with Gleyber. I wouldn't do that, would you?

I mentioned this elsewhere, but the list of good shortstops at Tulo's age - at least in the last several years - is awfully small. He wasn't great the year of his injury and it's 18 months later. Even if he's healthy, and that's a big if, I don't think it's realistic to expect him to have even average range.

In comment 14255150 M.S. said:

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...out there who have vivid memories of George Steinbrenner throwing money around like it's Rotisserie Baseball. But there's a different Steinbrenner running the team now, and as someone else posted earlier there are huge paydays for several young Yankee stars. Translation: Dream on about Harper or Machado, but neither one will be wearing Pinstripes.

I love Didi and Hicks but calling them stars is a bit of a stretch. Hicks will also be 30 when he becomes a FA next year and Didi will be before the 2020 season as well.

In comment 14255210 Dunedin81 said:

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I mentioned this elsewhere, but the list of good shortstops at Tulo's age - at least in the last several years - is awfully small. He wasn't great the year of his injury and it's 18 months later. Even if he's healthy, and that's a big if, I don't think it's realistic to expect him to have even average range.

One of Jeter's best season's (2009) was in his age 34 year. My concern with Tulo is the injuries and will he hold up during the day in and day out grind of a 162 game season. This is the big doubt for me.

was convincing Yankee fans that they should run their club like a mid market franchise and concern themselves with the luxury tax.



This chart says it all. They shed payroll with the specter of Machado and Harper being free agents as they enter their prime. This is exactly who the NY Yankees should be signing. If the Yankees miss out on both, I really hope that the rumors that Hal was looking at selling the Yankees comes to fruition and he gets out. He's a bean counter. He's not his father and with the passing of this mother, there are no Earthly ties for him to keep "the Mona Lisa" as George called them.

In comment 14255113 Beer Man said:

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The White Sox are the only team so far to have made an formal offer. Both the Yanks and Phillies are still in discussion, and neither team has submitted a formal offer.

If that's the case I'd hope, if I was a WS fan, that they put a deadline on it.

Manny wants to be a Yankee so he is waiting to see if he gets blown away money wise by another team. If the Yanks get Manny I wouldn't be surprised if we traded Andujar for a top pitcher. They are not going to trade Gleyber.

In comment 14255258 mdthedream said:

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Manny wants to be a Yankee so he is waiting to see if he gets blown away money wise by another team. If the Yanks get Manny I wouldn't be surprised if we traded Andujar for a top pitcher. They are not going to trade Gleyber.

I think that too and it would be hilarious if the White Sox pulled their offer after X date. They can tell their fanbase they tried and didn't want to get dicked around. I know i'd respect that.

Quote:

The prevailing feeling across the MLB landscape is that momentum is building for the White Sox in the Manny Machado sweepstakes. The Yankees and Phillies are the two other known serious suitors for the 26-year-old Machado, who's considered the prize of free agency alongside star outfielder Bryce Harper. Machado is expected to make a decision within a week, sources said, as all three of the aforementioned teams have made bids and would like an answers soon. There may be a fourth, unknown team in the Machado bidding, agent sources said.

Link - ( New Window )

his bat was arguably the best on the team last year in terms of consistent impact over time. But the defensive liability is what it is, at least at this point, so he's not likely to pull a front end starter. If he improves to somewhere in the vicinity of a league average defender this year I think it's a different conversation, but if that's the case they'd probably be a lot less likely to deal him.

I don't want to deal Gleyber and I wouldn't, but that is what the Indians are going to want for Corey Kluber.

In comment 14255295 Dunedin81 said:

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his bat was arguably the best on the team last year in terms of consistent impact over time. But the defensive liability is what it is, at least at this point, so he's not likely to pull a front end starter. If he improves to somewhere in the vicinity of a league average defender this year I think it's a different conversation, but if that's the case they'd probably be a lot less likely to deal him. I don't want to deal Gleyber and I wouldn't, but that is what the Indians are going to want for Corey Kluber.

I highly doubt Gleyber is going any where, he is a rising super-star and I'm sure Cashman knows that

In comment 14255236 Matt in SGS said:

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was convincing Yankee fans that they should run their club like a mid market franchise and concern themselves with the luxury tax. This chart says it all. They shed payroll with the specter of Machado and Harper being free agents as they enter their prime. This is exactly who the NY Yankees should be signing. If the Yankees miss out on both, I really hope that the rumors that Hal was looking at selling the Yankees comes to fruition and he gets out. He's a bean counter. He's not his father and with the passing of this mother, there are no Earthly ties for him to keep "the Mona Lisa" as George called them.

This might win the award for the most off-base post in the thread.

Context matters. Throwing out numbers because they appear to make your case without placing them in proper context is the equivalent of claiming an apple is an orange because both are fruits.

Revenue for ALL MLB teams is up dramatically as the new contracts for TV contracts have resulted in new streams of revenue for teams. Thus, it is not just the Yanks rolling in money- but all of them are.

There are other reasons to cut payroll as well. Why pay other teams your money in luxury taxes? I don't think you would willingly give your co-workers a slice of your paycheck just because they make less than you do. Why should any owner do that?

In addition, the Yanks need to keep an eye on future CBA negotiations. The luxury tax, IFA hard caps and draft caps are all aimed at the Yanks and big money teams. The Yanks have been able to successfully hold off full revenue sharing (like the NFL and NBA owners must do) and have avoided a salary cap.

If the Yanks decided to spend like drunk sailors, there is no doubt that the small and mid-market owners (who constitute a majority of the owners) would demand one or both of these under the argument that they cannot survive or compete against such spending.

The Yanks are taking every step to take away their opponents ammunition- they got under the luxury tax line, they have not set the market in FA out of range of the smaller market teams, and they bring in big revenue when they travel- an argument against revenue sharing.

Finally, the Yanks spend a LOT of money on the team outside of payroll- minor league coaching and facilities, new stadium spending and financing (remember, the Stadium isn't free- they have a mortgage on it), scouting and many other areas some teams skimp on. Payroll is not the total spending by the Yanks- and is likely just a small fraction of total spending by the team.

This narrowly focused argument that ignores all other factors outside of revenue and payroll is just a "look at me" platform for the whiny fan to make the argument that they are not acting self-entitled ("they have the money, why shouldn't I expect them to spend it so I can enjoy it") and failing miserably at it.

up our asses.... For the last few years the Front Office has claimed they wanted to get under the threshold for the Luxury tax. Once they did it would put them in position to be a very active in FA and turn this team into a powerhouse again.

Well, they havent done crap. I know they dont want all the long contracts but then why go and get Stanton??

Meanwhile Houston and Boston have been active and won titles.

Right now they are 4M over. If they don't sign Manny or Harper they can get under it by trading Gray and his 9M for prospects. Do not underestimate Hal wanting to stay under it.

since I don't believe in Yankee fan vs. Yankee fan battles (nor Giants fan vs. Giants fan battles) as we all root for the best for our teams, I would agree with you if the argument is to sign both Machado and Harper because screw the rest of the league. But when you get a guy like Machado, who is entering his prime, plays at an area of need, can play in the AL East, and has postseason experience, all things being equal in the bids, yes, you do flex your financial might to seal the deal. At this point, nothing has happened, so we don't know either way what's going on. But if the Yankees go into the season with Tulo as their main plan, after it was insinuated for years that the goal to get under the luxury tax in time for 2019 (with a clear nod to the free agency class) and come away with nothing, is not a good look for Hal or Cash or any of them.

If Harper and Machado in their mid 20s can't get the teams to spend money when franchises are more flush with cash than ever, I'm not sure what player will do it. Trout? Betts? Maybe, but I'm sure we'll hear the same excuses whenever their time comes. The market for Machado is three teams! That's unbelievable. The system needs to be overhauled.

of the money spent or percentage of revenue spent on players, this Yankee team is a very good product being put on the field by management. They have so many talented players that are also nice guys/kids and really easy to root for.

I want Machado, Harper, Corbin, Noah, Kluber and etc - but I am more than fine with NYY as currently constructed.

This makes no sense:

Quote:

IMO they all blew smoke Kevin(formerly Tiki4Six) : 11:47 am : link : reply up our asses.... For the last few years the Front Office has claimed they wanted to get under the threshold for the Luxury tax. Once they did it would put them in position to be a very active in FA and turn this team into a powerhouse again. Well, they havent done crap. I know they dont want all the long contracts but then why go and get Stanton?? Meanwhile Houston and Boston have been active and won titles.

The Yankees supposedly "haven't done crap" but then they are called out for signing Stanton? And Boston and Houston are active, which is why they are winning titles?

The Yanks haven't been active?

to see if a starting pitcher shakes loose by a seller team in late July. Seems like the next opportunity to get an ace. Megabucks might be needed for this.

I get that argument that the Yankees don't want to create "backlash" rules in the next CBA by going overboard now as I do believe many of the rules in place might as well just be called the Yankees Rule; but the CBA is not a one sided document. Just because the middle tier teams would be "outraged" by the Yankees spending, I don't think the drastic measures you mention will be allowed by the players union in the next negotiation.

As things stand right now, I would be surprised if there isn't some sort of work stoppage prior to agreeing on the next CBA. The current CBA is absolutely broken. Record revenues are being produced year over year while player payrolls have been lowered by 20 teams from 2017 to 2018 and looking like it will continue to be lowered for 2019. When you have guys like Mike Moustakas who cant even find 8 mil a year type contract, the current agreement will most definitely be called into question. I believe (and many have written) that the luxury tax thresholds all stand to be extremely inflated come next round of negotiations. So one could say us arguing about the financial restrictions the signing of Machado or Harper would create when we have to eventually pay large amounts to guys like Gleyber Torres / Sanchez/ Judge etc. in the future could end up being null and void because by the time those guys contracts actually do get expensive the tax threshold may be no where near where it is today.

Also, the argument that the Yankees are funding these other teams through luxury tax is also a joke; the luxury tax bill each year has been at an absolute maximum of $30M. That means the Yanks would have paid $1M max in a year to every team in baseball, chump change, and that isn't even how the tax money actually gets distributed.

I don't want to sound like I'm attacking you specifically, but the magnitude of the luxury tax inhibiting a team financially is so overblown its absurd at this point and the current financial system the league is based on may be drastically different in a very short time. Add on the fact that you have teams that are flat out tanking now, the market for low to mid level players is all but gone when the best teams are hamstrung by the tax and the bad teams don't want to spend on marginal talent. Something will have to give in the current state of baseball.

with the assumption that things will continue as they've been, there will be a work stoppage.

If owners go into the next CBA appreciating that some form of reapportionment of revenue is going to be necessary and the conversation is about managing it (payroll floors, increases in minimum salaries across the board, movement on a luxury tax, etc etc) it may still be contentious but it wouldn't necessarily result in a strike.

In comment 14255419 FatMan in Charlotte said:

Quote:

This makes no sense: Quote: IMO they all blew smoke Kevin(formerly Tiki4Six) : 11:47 am : link : reply up our asses.... For the last few years the Front Office has claimed they wanted to get under the threshold for the Luxury tax. Once they did it would put them in position to be a very active in FA and turn this team into a powerhouse again. Well, they havent done crap. I know they dont want all the long contracts but then why go and get Stanton?? Meanwhile Houston and Boston have been active and won titles. The Yankees supposedly "haven't done crap" but then they are called out for signing Stanton? And Boston and Houston are active, which is why they are winning titles? The Yanks haven't been active?

ok.. let me re-word that

the Yanks havent done crap THIS year but sign their own and make one trade. We still need SP and have no LH bats other than Hicks and Gardner with Didi being out...

I wasnt a fan of the Stanton move because I feared it would mess with future signings.

The Yanks as currently constructed will not beat Houston or Boston.

is due to owners realizing they were overpaying for production or lack of it. Many of these high paid FA signings have been abysmal.

Guys are still paid very well. But the days of 10 year deals with outrageous money are waning. Poor risk and hurts the team . Harper and Machado don't guarantee a WS. You need more then one guy to put you over the top and it will be hard to get the other players when you dole out 30 million plus per year 10 year deals.

The only leverage players have is a threat of a strike. But most players are well paid considered their production. Time is fleeting for their careers. I doubt they will hold out because a Harper doesn't get 400 million. They will never sniff that payday

because fans are paying more and more money and it isn't to just watch baseball. It's to watch the best baseball players on the planet. The best on the planet deserve to be paid for the entertainment they provide and the lifetime of dedication put in to their craft. Period.

One chart doesn't sniff the whole story but I believe it fairly reinforces the ongoing efforts by franchise owners to minimize the cost of running their franchises. They were saved after the last lockout by turning a blind-eye to PED use and then hung those players out to dry. They are now taking it a step further and potentially colluding (as they did in the 80s) in preparation for 2021.

As a fan, I hate that I even have to read about any of this crap. I don't actually care beyond hoping for the continued growth of MLB worldwide.

In comment 14255620 Kevin(formerly Tiki4Six) said:

Quote:

In comment 14255419 FatMan in Charlotte said: Quote: This makes no sense: Quote: IMO they all blew smoke Kevin(formerly Tiki4Six) : 11:47 am : link : reply up our asses.... For the last few years the Front Office has claimed they wanted to get under the threshold for the Luxury tax. Once they did it would put them in position to be a very active in FA and turn this team into a powerhouse again. Well, they havent done crap. I know they dont want all the long contracts but then why go and get Stanton?? Meanwhile Houston and Boston have been active and won titles. The Yankees supposedly "haven't done crap" but then they are called out for signing Stanton? And Boston and Houston are active, which is why they are winning titles? The Yanks haven't been active? ok.. let me re-word that the Yanks havent done crap THIS year but sign their own and make one trade. We still need SP and have no LH bats other than Hicks and Gardner with Didi being out... I wasnt a fan of the Stanton move because I feared it would mess with future signings. The Yanks as currently constructed will not beat Houston or Boston.

Over 70% of the FAs haven't even signed yet. You act like Spring Training is tomorrow. Hell, there will still be players out there in ST. Stop panicking. Britton wasn't their own cause he was a FA. Boston and Houston haven't gone out and done a ton either. The trade you mention was for a FRONT LINE STARTER so it wasn't just one trade since you badly want starting pitching. And where will these LH bats you want play? Seriously, chill out dude. They won 100 games last year. They kind of are a powerhouse with gasp...young players who will get better rather than an old free agent driven team.

This notion that the Yankees suck from Yankees fan might be the dumbest thing I ever heard in my life.

are smarter now. In the past they would pay for what a player has done in the past. With analytics they are seeing how production will decrease.

In comment 14255328 rich in DC said:

Quote:

In comment 14255236 Matt in SGS said: Quote: was convincing Yankee fans that they should run their club like a mid market franchise and concern themselves with the luxury tax. This chart says it all. They shed payroll with the specter of Machado and Harper being free agents as they enter their prime. This is exactly who the NY Yankees should be signing. If the Yankees miss out on both, I really hope that the rumors that Hal was looking at selling the Yankees comes to fruition and he gets out. He's a bean counter. He's not his father and with the passing of this mother, there are no Earthly ties for him to keep "the Mona Lisa" as George called them. This might win the award for the most off-base post in the thread. Context matters. Throwing out numbers because they appear to make your case without placing them in proper context is the equivalent of claiming an apple is an orange because both are fruits. Revenue for ALL MLB teams is up dramatically as the new contracts for TV contracts have resulted in new streams of revenue for teams. Thus, it is not just the Yanks rolling in money- but all of them are. There are other reasons to cut payroll as well. Why pay other teams your money in luxury taxes? I don't think you would willingly give your co-workers a slice of your paycheck just because they make less than you do. Why should any owner do that? In addition, the Yanks need to keep an eye on future CBA negotiations. The luxury tax, IFA hard caps and draft caps are all aimed at the Yanks and big money teams. The Yanks have been able to successfully hold off full revenue sharing (like the NFL and NBA owners must do) and have avoided a salary cap. If the Yanks decided to spend like drunk sailors, there is no doubt that the small and mid-market owners (who constitute a majority of the owners) would demand one or both of these under the argument that they cannot survive or compete against such spending. The Yanks are taking every step to take away their opponents ammunition- they got under the luxury tax line, they have not set the market in FA out of range of the smaller market teams, and they bring in big revenue when they travel- an argument against revenue sharing. Finally, the Yanks spend a LOT of money on the team outside of payroll- minor league coaching and facilities, new stadium spending and financing (remember, the Stadium isn't free- they have a mortgage on it), scouting and many other areas some teams skimp on. Payroll is not the total spending by the Yanks- and is likely just a small fraction of total spending by the team. This narrowly focused argument that ignores all other factors outside of revenue and payroll is just a "look at me" platform for the whiny fan to make the argument that they are not acting self-entitled ("they have the money, why shouldn't I expect them to spend it so I can enjoy it") and failing miserably at it.

Good points Rich but one you didn't mention might be even more important to the bottom line that Hal works for. That is his attempt to rebuy a large portion of the YES Network that he stupidly sold some years back. And,although as fans, this is an afterthought, it becomes a huge expenditure for the Yankees & where Hal is concentrating on spending Yankee money!

In comment 14255655 RasputinPrime said:

Quote:

because fans are paying more and more money and it isn't to just watch baseball. It's to watch the best baseball players on the planet. The best on the planet deserve to be paid for the entertainment they provide and the lifetime of dedication put in to their craft. Period. One chart doesn't sniff the whole story but I believe it fairly reinforces the ongoing efforts by franchise owners to minimize the cost of running their franchises. They were saved after the last lockout by turning a blind-eye to PED use and then hung those players out to dry. They are now taking it a step further and potentially colluding (as they did in the 80s) in preparation for 2021. As a fan, I hate that I even have to read about any of this crap. I don't actually care beyond hoping for the continued growth of MLB worldwide.

If you think fans will side with players in a work stoppage cause Harper and Machado can't get 10 year $350 million dollar deals, you are probably sadly mistaken. Never have fans thought players deserve more and would support them in a strike. Yet fans don't really care if the owners pocket more money. It's just the way fans are.