MLB is soon going to have the same issue that the NBA is now having.

 

Three or four "super" teams...Dodgers, Yankees, Indians, Astros. A small number of very good teams...Red Sox, Cubs, Nats and all the rest mediocre at best or tanking / rebuilding with ZERO CHANCE to win anything.

 

Not good for the fans and not good from a business standpoint when fans stop watching or going to games because there isn't any point.

I agree. Baseball is doomed. Millenials don't get baseball and actually despise it. It's way too boring and slow paced because of the umpires' refusal to care about the game and obey the rules and speed up the game. Those playoff games took forever and people just don't want 4-hour baseball games. Pretty much you can bank on the first three innings taking an hour. The next three taking an hour and the final three taking about 2 hours. Or at least 90 minutes for a 3.5 hour game, sometimes 4 hours. Ridiculous.

You make a great comparison with the NBA. Only thing that can save baseball is the "tank" factor, though. Now, teams' fans can embrace 4-6 year rebuilds and feel they truly have a shot. They can laugh at those who laugh at their record and point to the rebuild. "Wait til next year" is a very valuable tool in marketing of fans. Always has been. And now with all the tank jobs, wait til next year is huge. At least there's a "reason" for teams sucking and fans love sucking if it's part of a rebuild. Very astute of front offices to embrace the build if they don't have the $$ to compete.

Meanwhile, the rich will truly dominate like you said.

Edited December 9, 20178 yr by greg775

The last time a team led the league in HRs and then added the player that led the league in HRs was 1919 when the Yankees bought Babe Ruth.

I agree. Baseball is doomed. Millenials don't get baseball and actually despise it. It's way too boring and slow paced because of the umpires' refusal to care about the game and obey the rules and speed up the game. Those playoff games took forever and people just don't want 4-hour baseball games. Pretty much you can bank on the first three innings taking an hour. The next three taking an hour and the final three taking about 2 hours. Or at least 90 minutes for a 3.5 hour game, sometimes 4 hours. Ridiculous.

You make a great comparison with the NBA. Only thing that can save baseball is the "tank" factor, though. Now, teams' fans can embrace 4-6 year rebuilds and feel they truly have a shot. They can laugh at those who laugh at their record and point to the rebuild. "Wait til next year" is a very valuable tool in marketing of fans. Always has been. And now with all the tank jobs, wait til next year is huge. At least there's a "reason" for teams sucking and fans love sucking if it's part of a rebuild. Very astute of front offices to embrace the build if they don't have the $$ to compete.

Meanwhile, the rich will truly dominate like you said.

 

I get where people think baseball is boring...but I actually find football woefully boring anymore...especially when you're at the game. You're sitting around in your seat half time waiting for tv timeouts...or some ridiculous review. 3 and out...5 minutes of commercials. zzzzzzzzzz....I'll take baseball any day.

MLB is soon going to have the same issue that the NBA is now having.

 

Three or four "super" teams...Dodgers, Yankees, Indians, Astros. A small number of very good teams...Red Sox, Cubs, Nats and all the rest mediocre at best or tanking / rebuilding with ZERO CHANCE to win anything.

 

Not good for the fans and not good from a business standpoint when fans stop watching or going to games because there isn't any point.

 

And I'd argue just the opposite, on a point. Miami actually has Stanton over a barrell. The guy wants to play for a winner and doesn't want to go through a rebuild. Fine. Miami should have said, 'you go to the Cards or the Giants or we'll trade everybody in the f***ing lineup and you'll be out there alone with no protection in last place. How would you like that?'

 

I'm willing to bet he'd change his tune mighty quick. Instead Miami acted like Miami even with new ownership.

 

 

The knowledgeable fans complain, but the NBA tv ratings are way up the last three years.

Lots of talk that NFL owners want Silver as next commissioner.

 

As long as the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs or Dodgers are one of the top four teams...baseball will be fine.

 

You also might be able to add Angels with Ohtani/Trout as the fifth megafranchise.

 

 

And your argument would be wrong. You somehow never mentioned money, which of course is what this is all about. Stanton wasn’t “about” to get expensive like what usually happens in Miami, he already held the worst contract in baseball, and new ownership wanted to hit the reset button.

 

I don’t argue the return was terrible and if Miami could have tried to control the media narrative from the start, things may have been different for the Marlins. But once word was out that the Marlins were set on trading him, their leverage was GONE.

 

Especially since the options were limited due to contract and no-trade clause. Literally only 4 teams.

 

MLB is soon going to have the same issue that the NBA is now having.

 

Three or four "super" teams...Dodgers, Yankees, Indians, Astros. A small number of very good teams...Red Sox, Cubs, Nats and all the rest mediocre at best or tanking / rebuilding with ZERO CHANCE to win anything.

 

Not good for the fans and not good from a business standpoint when fans stop watching or going to games because there isn't any point.

 

And I'd argue just the opposite, on a point. Miami actually has Stanton over a barrell. The guy wants to play for a winner and doesn't want to go through a rebuild. Fine. Miami should have said, 'you go to the Cards or the Giants or we'll trade everybody in the f***ing lineup and you'll be out there alone with no protection in last place. How would you like that?'

 

I'm willing to bet he'd change his tune mighty quick. Instead Miami acted like Miami even with new ownership.

 

Baseball won't be like the NBA simply because of how random the playoffs are. In the NBA, the best teams almost always win their playoff series, which is how you get CLE vs GS 3 times in a row. In baseball, anyone can win a 7 game series, and that will mix up the finals and World Series winners. It also gives hope to lower level teams, just get in the dance and anything can happen.

Especially since the options were limited due to contract and no-trade clause. Literally only 4 teams.

Yes. They told him if he didn't agree to a trade, they were going full rebuild. He still said no the SF and STL. He held all the cards. They needed to get rid of his contract, so he told them where he would go. To think a team that owes a player almost $300 million, holds a player with a full no trade over a barrel, is hysterical. Especially if he can opt out in a couple of years.

Edited December 9, 20178 yr by Dick Allen

The knowledgeable fans complain, but the NBA tv ratings are way up the last three years.

Lots of talk that NFL owners want Silver as next commissioner.

 

As long as the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs or Dodgers are one of the top four teams...baseball will be fine.

 

You also might be able to add Angels with Ohtani/Trout as the fifth megafranchise.

FWIW, the 2016 and 2017 world series had the highest ratings since 09 when the Yankees were last in it.

 

And seriously, you posted the phrase "Lots of talk that NFL owners want Silver as next commissioner" 3 days after they gave Gooddell 5 years and what, $200 million?

Before we worry about Yankees dominating next ten years take a look at their rotation and bullpen, extend it to 2020 and tell me you think it will be dominating.

 

The yanks farm is good but any star pitchers that would come from it may be kinda random baseball luck.

 

They will need to do a lot of supplementing if pitching soon through FA or trades...and take of cubs should show how quickly the farm can empty out.

 

Baseball will be okay.

Before we worry about Yankees dominating next ten years take a look at their rotation and bullpen, extend it to 2020 and tell me you think it will be dominating.

 

The yanks farm is good but any star pitchers that would come from it may be kinda random baseball luck.

 

They will need to do a lot of supplementing if pitching soon through FA or trades...and take of cubs should show how quickly the farm can empty out.

 

Baseball will be okay.

 

I assume Frazier will get dealt for a long-term arm. I guess we'll see if any of their arms in the minors stick.

Edited December 9, 20178 yr by soxfan2014

Baseball won't be like the NBA simply because of how random the playoffs are. In the NBA, the best teams almost always win their playoff series, which is how you get CLE vs GS 3 times in a row. In baseball, anyone can win a 7 game series, and that will mix up the finals and World Series winners. It also gives hope to lower level teams, just get in the dance and anything can happen.

Baseball will never be like the NBA because it’s far easier to acquire star caliber talent and the fact that salaries aren’t capped removes the incentive for established stars to create superteams. Right now, we just have a lot of teams echoing what the Astros & Cubs successfully did. At some point in the near future some of these rebuilding clubs will join the upper ranks and create more parity across league. Things will never be as bad as the NBA.

Baseball will never be like the NBA because it’s far easier to acquire star caliber talent and the fact that salaries aren’t capped removes the incentive for established stars to create superteams. Right now, we just have a lot of teams echoing what the Astros & Cubs successfully did. At some point in the near future some of these rebuilding clubs will join the upper ranks and create more parity across league. Things will never be as bad as the NBA.

 

Not every rebuild will go along the cubs and astros blueprint though. Right now the white sox, padres, braves, Phillies, soon royals , etc. are undergoing full blown rebuilds. Some will work, others will completely fail.

 

The Stanton deal looks great for the Yankees right now, but I think they will end up regretting the trade several years down the line when he seriously regresses and still has 5-6 years left on his contract with a full no trade clause.

 

I’m very nervous about the white sox pursuing a top free agent next offseason for huge money, opt outs and with complete no trade clauses that make the deal totally favor the player in terms of downside. How often do mega deals actually work out for a team before they really regret the signing?

The Stanton deal looks great for the Yankees right now, but I think they will end up regretting the trade several years down the line when he seriously regresses and still has 5-6 years left on his contract with a full no trade clause.

 

With the Yankees money do you even think that will matter? They'll just go out and buy someone else, price be damned.

 

Not every rebuild will go along the cubs and astros blueprint though. Right now the white sox, padres, braves, Phillies, soon royals , etc. are undergoing full blown rebuilds. Some will work, others will completely fail.

 

The Stanton deal looks great for the Yankees right now, but I think they will end up regretting the trade several years down the line when he seriously regresses and still has 5-6 years left on his contract with a full no trade clause.

 

I’m very nervous about the white sox pursuing a top free agent next offseason for huge money, opt outs and with complete no trade clauses that make the deal totally favor the player in terms of downside. How often do mega deals actually work out for a team before they really regret the signing?

No they won't.

No they won't.

 

Stanton has dealt with injury issues in the past. The track record for sluggers performing after age 30 long term is not great either. If Stanton does Great he opts out in 2020 and gets even more money, or if he regresses you are stuck with him for the next decade.

 

There’s plenty of risk in his contract.

FWIW, the 2016 and 2017 world series had the highest ratings since 09 when the Yankees were last in it.

 

And seriously, you posted the phrase "Lots of talk that NFL owners want Silver as next commissioner" 3 days after they gave Gooddell 5 years and what, $200 million?

 

The argument was that superteams were killing the NBA....when all indicators and metrics show the opposite, except for maybe the Atlanta Hawks. The NBA is projected by most experts to eat into the NFL fanbase, rather than poaching fans from MLB.

 

No news in China about the NFL...it will only exist when they play the preseason game here.

 

And I have a sneaking feeling Jeter will end up selling that team in the next 10-15 years at an extremely profitable markup and it will be relocated.

Edited December 10, 20178 yr by caulfield12

Stanton has dealt with injury issues in the past. The track record for sluggers performing after age 30 long term is not great either. If Stanton does Great he opts out in 2020 and gets even more money, or if he regresses you are stuck with him for the next decade.

 

There’s plenty of risk in his contract.

The Yankees basically paid the price for Stanton for 2 years. If he struggles the next year or two with injury, they didn't give up much they needed, and they cleared Castro's contract over that time period. If he hits well enough that he will opt out, they are 100 win teams the next 2 years and world series contenders.

 

Their worry is not the record of 30 year old sluggers, it is the worry of 28 year old sluggers.

 

Hypothetically speaking, if Stanton hit FA at 30, would you sign him for 8/$240? That's what he will have remaining after 2020. I'd spend that on him.

Not every rebuild will go along the cubs and astros blueprint though. Right now the white sox, padres, braves, Phillies, soon royals , etc. are undergoing full blown rebuilds. Some will work, others will completely fail.

 

The Stanton deal looks great for the Yankees right now, but I think they will end up regretting the trade several years down the line when he seriously regresses and still has 5-6 years left on his contract with a full no trade clause.

 

nah, that's when Kenny will swoop in and convince him ala Peavy to join the Sox, and we get to deal with all the downsides.

Older fans remember the K.C. A's being a major league "farm" team for the Yankees. (Roger Maris among a number of other guys who went on to star in New York). Now it's the Marlins.

 

The more things change the more they stay the same.

 

As always $$$ talks and BS walks and the Yankees always have the most money to be able to do things.

Yeah. I don't where people say things are changing. The teams with the most money will always get the best players and will always have the best chance to win. Until a salary cap is put in.

https://sports.yahoo.com/bryce-harper-go-no...-235551119.html

 

The six favorites for Bryce Harper now, Cubs in top 3

https://sports.yahoo.com/bryce-harper-go-no...-235551119.html

 

The six favorites for Bryce Harper now, Cubs in top 3

I wonder when the national media is gonna realize that the Sox only have like 13 cents in payroll with arguably baseballs best young class.

The Dodgers or the Oakland A' s seem like the best fit for Bryce Harper's hair and personality.

...Bryce Harper's hair...

I'm sure that's his first priority ?

I believe the Yankees still have a formal grooming policy. Not sure about any other team but leaving the length of facial hair aside, Harper might not want to play for certain teams or Managers for other reasons. For example, the cubs fans and cubs media can be brutal. I just see Harper fitting in out on the West coast, possibly with the Dodgers.

I wonder when the national media is gonna realize that the Sox only have like 13 cents in payroll with arguably baseballs best young class.

I did read one article a month or so back that projected us to be one of the biggest players in next year’s free agent class, but otherwise these writers tend to forget about us it seems.