For years, Major League Baseball has struggled to find some sort of middle ground when it comes to leveling the playing field for all 30 organizations. Unlike the NBA, which has all kinds of money rules that are too many to explain, or the NFL, which has a hard salary cap that teams must get under or face heavy penalties, professional baseball has shown no vigor in attempting to improve its business model. Well, that's all about to change.
As reported by USA Today MLB columnist Bob Nightengale, Thursday afternoon, the MLB has proposed the league's first-ever salary cap to the MLBPA (MLB Players Association) since August of 1994. This proposal would cap teams out at $245.3 million with a proposed floor of $171.2 million.
While delineation between the two sides will expectedly last longer than it should, it's a rational deal and one that the MLBPA should agree on. This levels the playing field for teams, like the LA Dodgers and NY Yankees, who will not be able to spend upwards of $200 million more than the Cleveland Guardians and Miami Marlins, and allow for these bottom-feeding teams' owners to finally pucker up and send some checks out. For the Royals, they find themselves in quite the sweet spot.
The MLB playing field may finally be turning in Kansas City's favor
For a while now, the Royals, owned by businessman John Sherman, have been right in the middle in terms of payroll and cash spending. They certainly aren't the richest of franchises, nor are they exempt from having enough resources to win a World Series, as they did back in 2015. In fact, the only offensive player under long-term, substantial money is Bobby Witt Jr. I'm sure he would welcome an influx of legit hitting talent around him.
And finding themselves in the middle, the Royals might be in a better spot than most for years to come if this salary cap proposal does go through. For teams like the Dodgers and Yankees, they would have to start shedding their rosters and big-money pieces quickly in order to get under the cap as early as 2027. This leaves resources aplenty available for the Royals to jump on, as they have enough room and enough money to bring themselves nearer to that $245 million give or take ceiling.
The Guardians and Marlins and other teams who stand below $100 million cash payrolls, while not having to fight a financial fight that seems unattainable, still would be under pressure to make the significant jump to the $171 million floor. This means that bad decisions could be made by owners and general managers who are not used to spending money, now under heavy pressure to do so.
Nothing is certain yet, and while the MLBPA could threaten another lockout, this proposal leaves no doubt that sometime in the near future, baseball will employ some sort of salary cap. And for middling teams like the Royals, it may be the final push they need to become consistent contenders.
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