OFFICIAL - 2013-14 Off-Season Wheeling and Dealing Thread

[thomas35forever]

The Mariners better plan to win over the next few years or this will be more ridiculous than it already is. Hopefully, there's an opt-out clause somewhere.

[Moses_Scurry]

Maybe I'm off base with this, but I don't see why anyone should be complaining that the Seattle Frickin' Mariners won the biggest fish of the offseason (if it goes through). After so many years of the Yankees being forgone conclusions to land the best players, I find it refreshing that the number of teams in the hunt is growing. It's not a completely level playing field and probably never will be, but it is definitely better than in the late '90's - early '00's when you could pretty much pencil the top 3 FAs into the Yankee lineup. Even the Athletics are signing and trading for guys with $10million+ contracts. Ten years ago, we sympathized with the teams that cried poor (and there were many of them). Now you don't hear about it nearly as much, and the teams that do cry poor (Marlins) are derided for pocketing the money.

In my opinion, a hard cap would probably not have the effect that you would expect. The result would be players wanting to form superteams (probably with the Yankees) as you have in the NBA. If nobody can be outbid and you were the best FA, would you rather play in New York for the team with the Yankees' history or Kansas City, or Pittsburgh, or Seattle?

[DSpivack]

Originally Posted by Moses_Scurry

Maybe I'm off base with this, but I don't see why anyone should be complaining that the Seattle Frickin' Mariners won the biggest fish of the offseason (if it goes through). After so many years of the Yankees being forgone conclusions to land the best players, I find it refreshing that the number of teams in the hunt is growing. It's not a completely level playing field and probably never will be, but it is definitely better than in the late '90's - early '00's when you could pretty much pencil the top 3 FAs into the Yankee lineup. Even the Athletics are signing and trading for guys with $10million+ contracts. Ten years ago, we sympathized with the teams that cried poor (and there were many of them). Now you don't hear about it nearly as much, and the teams that do cry poor (Marlins) are derided for pocketing the money.

In my opinion, a hard cap would probably not have the effect that you would expect. The result would be players wanting to form superteams (probably with the Yankees) as you have in the NBA. If nobody can be outbid and you were the best FA, would you rather play in New York for the team with the Yankees' history or Kansas City, or Pittsburgh, or Seattle?

I agree.

[LoveYourSuit]

Originally Posted by DSpivack

No, that's what the TV ratings are for. Or, perhaps just as importantly, how many cable subscribers the local RSN can get.

Yeah, but the whole cable subscriber deal is part of the bubble that will burst soon.

I beleive I read somewhere that San Diego and Houston carriers are already refusing to carry local team networks on basic packages or not at all to avoid paying the carriage fees to those networks

[russ99]

Originally Posted by LoveYourSuit

Yeah, but the whole cable subscriber deal is part of the bubble that will burst soon.

I beleive I read somewhere that San Diego and Houston carriers are already refusing to carry local team networks on basic packages or not at all to avoid paying the carriage fees to those networks

Houston's cable deal is a disaster of mythical proportions. Astros games are on Comcast Sportsnet Houston, but no other cable/sat carriers have agreed to sign on, so something like 20-30% of the city can watch the games.

Owner Jim Crane is in bankruptcy court with Comcast, and is also suing Comcast and the previous owner for fraud, as he bought the cable outlet along with the team, and the information he was presented when he bought the team allegedly was counter to what it is.

I like the Feldman signing for the Astros, they needed a veteran arm in the rotation. He's no great shakes, but can be an inning eater for them keeping their starter prospects in the minors a bit longer.

[LoveYourSuit]

Originally Posted by Moses_Scurry

Maybe I'm off base with this, but I don't see why anyone should be complaining that the Seattle Frickin' Mariners won the biggest fish of the offseason (if it goes through). After so many years of the Yankees being forgone conclusions to land the best players, I find it refreshing that the number of teams in the hunt is growing. It's not a completely level playing field and probably never will be, but it is definitely better than in the late '90's - early '00's when you could pretty much pencil the top 3 FAs into the Yankee lineup. Even the Athletics are signing and trading for guys with $10million+ contracts. Ten years ago, we sympathized with the teams that cried poor (and there were many of them). Now you don't hear about it nearly as much, and the teams that do cry poor (Marlins) are derided for pocketing the money.

In my opinion, a hard cap would probably not have the effect that you would expect. The result would be players wanting to form superteams (probably with the Yankees) as you have in the NBA. If nobody can be outbid and you were the best FA, would you rather play in New York for the team with the Yankees' history or Kansas City, or Pittsburgh, or Seattle?

I don't see how Cano getting this deal from the Yankees, Mariners, or Team Beirut could be a positive for baseball. All it does is keep driving up the prices for even the mediocre talent field left over for us to pick from not only this season but the next ones.

[Moses_Scurry]

Originally Posted by LoveYourSuit

I don't see how Cano getting this deal from the Yankees, Mariners, or Team Beirut could be a positive for baseball. All it does is keep driving up the prices for even the mediocre talent field left over for us to pick from not only this season but the next ones.

It's the going rate, and it's only going up. You can only way "wow, what a crazy contract" so many times before they become normal and not crazy.

[doublem23]

Originally Posted by LoveYourSuit

Right, and with no demand at the gate a TV network will assume TV ratings will kick ass.

People watch sports on TV for reasons other than the game is sold out, you know

[ChiSoxGal85]

Cano will be 41 years old making $24 million a year. 41!!!!! $24 mil a year!

[LoveYourSuit]

Originally Posted by doublem23

People watch sports on TV for reasons other than the game is sold out, you know

I guess you're missing my point.

[doublem23]

Originally Posted by LoveYourSuit

I guess you're missing my point.

I understand you're point I just don't think it's valid

People have been waiting for the baseball salary bubble to burst since Nolan Ryan earned $1 million in 1979, everyone thought it was outrageous then but nothing has stopped

[Hitmen77]

Originally Posted by Moses_Scurry

Maybe I'm off base with this, but I don't see why anyone should be complaining that the Seattle Frickin' Mariners won the biggest fish of the offseason (if it goes through). After so many years of the Yankees being forgone conclusions to land the best players, I find it refreshing that the number of teams in the hunt is growing. It's not a completely level playing field and probably never will be, but it is definitely better than in the late '90's - early '00's when you could pretty much pencil the top 3 FAs into the Yankee lineup. Even the Athletics are signing and trading for guys with $10million+ contracts. Ten years ago, we sympathized with the teams that cried poor (and there were many of them). Now you don't hear about it nearly as much, and the teams that do cry poor (Marlins) are derided for pocketing the money.

In my opinion, a hard cap would probably not have the effect that you would expect. The result would be players wanting to form superteams (probably with the Yankees) as you have in the NBA. If nobody can be outbid and you were the best FA, would you rather play in New York for the team with the Yankees' history or Kansas City, or Pittsburgh, or Seattle?

Agreed. It's much worse when it's a small handful of super-rich teams constantly buying up the top free agents and pretty much assuring themselves a near-permanent playoff spot and where even middle market teams can't keep top talent.

But, if the Mariners are throwing that much money around, that's not a sign of the competitive balance of the league being a joke - it's a sign that the owners as a whole are rolling in cash.

Originally Posted by ChiSoxGal85

Cano will be 41 years old making $24 million a year. 41!!!!! $24 mil a year!

Crazy, isn't it? Did they not see how well it has worked out for their division rival to sign Pujols for a boatload of money into his 40s?

[Moses_Scurry]

Originally Posted by Hitmen77

Agreed. It's much worse when it's a small handful of super-rich teams constantly buying up the top free agents and pretty much assuring themselves a near-permanent playoff spot and where even middle market teams can't keep top talent.

But, if the Mariners are throwing that much money around, that's not a sign of the competitive balance of the league being a joke - it's a sign that the owners as a whole are rolling in cash.


Crazy, isn't it? Did they not see how well it has worked out for their division rival to sign Pujols for a boatload of money into his 40s?

And by extension, what this tells us is that any owner crying about their financial situation is full of ****.

[kittle42]

Originally Posted by Moses_Scurry

It's the going rate, and it's only going up. You can only way "wow, what a crazy contract" so many times before they become normal and not crazy.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I am so tired of all the whining about the size of contracts with Sox players. The market is the market. Scott ****ing Feldman just got $10 mil a year. Bronson Arroyo will get more than that. That's just what it is. If teams don't want to pay, they'll just sit in the cellar.

I'm tired of people raising the Fiscal Responsibility Championship banner.

[thomas35forever]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/...&vkey=news_mlb
Granderson is with the Mets for the next four years.