“Too many clubs, large- and small-market alike, take a defeatist approach, preferring to lament, “baseball is broken,” rather than figure out how to prove it isn’t. No one can dispute that vast revenue differences exist in the sport, even between the Dodgers and other large-market teams. Those differences can be addressed in ways other than a cap. And if the owners try to force one upon the players’ union, it might shut down the industry for a full season at a time when the game is in the midst of a renaissance. Doesn’t seem like a great idea.

The Dodgers are convenient bogeymen, but the sport derives an intangible benefit from a David vs. Goliath dynamic, with 29 teams trying to slay the giant. And all those who find the Dodgers’ gorging offensive also tend to overlook that their spending provides real benefits as well.

Not only did the Dodgers’ star power help them lead the majors in road attendance the past two seasons, but in that time they also paid $272.4 million in luxury tax, including a record $169.4 million in 2025. That’s on top of the estimated $150 million per season they contribute in revenue sharing. Per The Athletic’s Evan Drellich, that money is essentially split between the league and players, with half going to the clubs in some form, the other half to player retirement funds.”

26 comments

  1. They always talk about revenue sharing. 150/2 is 75. 75/30 teams is 2.5 million dollars per team. In other words basically nothing at all

  2. I think he is correct that it can be solved through ways other than a cap. More equitable revenue sharing would do something similar without making the players pay for it.

  3. Ah yes because nothing screams balance like one team spending more than half the league combined. Notice how other sports don’t have the same issue of competitive balance being so bad that half the league essentially operates as a farm system for the larger markets. I can’t for the life of me figure out the difference. It can’t possibly be the existence of a salary cap. How can anyone watch without having a goliath always favored to win everything?

    The elitism and entitlement of that shit is crazy.

  4. Rosenthal is a propagandist for the MLBPA. It is what it is. The problems are obvious to anyone with a brain.

  5. The problem is even if the brewers spent 20-50million more, I don’t think that’s enough to beat the dodgers who spent over double the brewers so what’s the point. Yes you have cheap owners who are terrible and perhaps mark could spend more, but if they can’t do any better against a huge spender, what’s the point in spending a little more. Milwaukee does have the issue of small market lack of flashiness to attract players, but if there was a cap, more teams like Milwaukee would be able to have a qualifying or exceeding offer based on their cap space that could attract more players. And with a cap instead of 5-8 star players they dodgers would only be able to hold onto 2-3

  7. Has anyone gone to the Dodgers sub to see what they think? There is absolutely no shame whatsoever. They act like all these free agents are due to their high level strategic manuvering, and not the endless well of money and almost guaranteed ring.

    They say everyone hoping for a lockout “hates baseball.” As if the very idea that they shouldn’t have a complete monopoly on the sport is not in the spirit of the game.

  8. Make MLB pay for their own infrastructure. Then they can squabble over the scraps.

    Sick of seeing one employee of the entire organization make 70 million a year and then they turn to communities fighting to keep schools open to make new or upgrade the palaces they play in.

  9. I don’t get why so many people care about “pro player” policy. They are all set for life financially.

    I want what’s best for me and that’s a competitive/fun baseball league to watch. IMO the best way to do that is a real salary cap. I couldn’t give two shits about whether or not the players make less money. They are absolutely the “bad guys” here.

    The owners can go fuck themselves too but that’s completely seperate from competitive balance discussions

  10. Idk man, there’s a lot of evidence to suggest Rosenthal is, in fact, a little cretin.

  11. “Something that has worked in literally every other American sport can’t possibly work in baseball.”

  12. MLB has to have a salary cap or once in a blue moon a small market team with win it all. Just have to love to watch baseball in general until then.

  13. They need to cap deferred payments. Mets doing one million per year is one thing, dodgers doing almost 100 per year is another. Pay most of the cost of your talent on the field when it’s actually playing

  14. I see where some have said Rosenthal is spewing propaganda, which is true. He’s also looking out for himself to keep the game from being disrupted because if the owners do what we all believe to be necessary, Rosenthal is going to be at home on his couch for an entire season.

  20. Start throwing at the Dodgers’ stars. Put their bodies on the line and test the depth.

  22. The Dodgers over paid for Tucker but thats also downplaying there is a competitive balance problem with MLB

  25. I thought some underrated points Ken was pointing to was the lack of winning culture in the game. You have entire orgs who are pleased to do nothing — you have clubs like the Rockies lobbying to limit the amount of data teams can use, for crying out loud. We need serious revenue sharing reform, a salary floor, and a cap. Will anyone go for that?

  26. I want the league shut down and now I have another reason for it, so Ken doesn’t have a job.

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