There has been a lot of talk this offseason about how the Los Angeles Dodgers, and to a lesser degree the New York Mets, are ruining baseball. They are spending more money than anyone else in baseball and bringing in star players like they are trying to collect a full set of Pokemon cards.
Something does need to be done about this to help spread the talent out across the league, but baseball has an even bigger issue than the Dodgers and Mets and we just saw another example of it with the Milwaukee Brewers trading away their ace.Â
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One or two teams monopolizing spending money is a problem. The Dodgers and the Mets bringing in all the stars is bad for the league, but there are bigger reasons that happens than just they are willing to spend money. A team that won 97 games last year and had the best record in baseball trading away their ace starting pitcher because they don’t want to pay him is a bigger problem. Â
The Brewers just traded away Freddy Peralta, who won 17 games for them last year with a 2.70 ERA. He had a year left on his deal and the Brewers didn’t want to pay him after this season, so they shipped him off for two prospects.
They got two good prospects in return to be fair, but that isn’t the point. The Brewers spent $115 million last season, which was 23rd in all of MLB. The Brewers were set to only spend $126 million in 2026 and only have $42 million committed for 2027 and beyond. There is no reason that the Brewers couldn’t pay Peralta and continue to build and try to win with him. They just don’t want to spend the money.Â
Every team not trying to win to the best of their ability is already a problem in baseball. When you have your elite teams doing it, it’s even worse. This isn’t the first time the Brewers have done this recently either. Before the 2024 season, the Brewers traded then ace starting pitcher Corbin Burnes, who was coming off of his third elite season in a row for them, to the Orioles for two prospects.
The Brewers are a well ran organization and have remained a good team despite the trades, but that isn’t the point. The point is teams should be trying to win instead of save money.Â
Baseball has multiple issues going on right now. Most want a salary cap and think that would fix things, but it really wouldn’t do a lot because to many teams don’t want to spend to try and win. In 2025, 15 teams spend less than 150 million, 10 teams spend less than $125 million and five teams spent less than $100 million. These bottom teams trading their best players instead of paying them just makes things worse.
Not only does it keep them from truly competing, it puts these star players out there for the Mets and Dodgers of the world to bring in. Baseball needs to fix revenue sharing and put a salary floor in and it will fix the balance of baseball.