Let's round up some links from the business side of the game…
- Bud Selig told reporters, including Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, that the Mets are working on an "alternative financing plan." Bob Klapisch of The Bergen Record adds that Selig said the Mets have yet to repay the $25MM loan from MLB, though he's "not worried." (Twitter links)
- ESPN's Buster Olney says that changes to the draft system being discussed during Collective Bargaining Agreement talks involve a draft tax (Twitter links). It would work similar to the luxury tax, forcing teams to pay if they spend over a certain amount. There is also talk about giving lower revenue clubs additional picks, which some officials perceive to have little value.
- "There isn't a mechanism in place," said Selig to reporters (including Passan) when asked about finding his successor (Twitter link). The commissioner continues to maintain that he will retire on December 31st of 2012.
Bob9988
Giving lower revenue clubs additional picks is stupid.
User 4245925809
Especially since most teams only sign half of the players they draft anyway. Why even have additional picks?
Looks like Selig trying to save face for having his ridiculous slotting system thrown back at him and laughed all the way back to his office. Maybe he will crawl home and retire now.
start_wearing_purple
Wahoo! Go Cards!
East Coast Bias
So glad Texas lost haha
start_wearing_purple
You gotta give them props though. Discounting my own personal bias that the 2004 World Series was the greatest of all time, this certainly has been one of the best World Series I’ve ever seen.
Lunchbox45
the postseason of the bullpens is how i’ll remember it
congrats cards fan. !
East Coast Bias
True. It has been really exciting. What an improbable run by the Cards! Remember when everyone wrote them off after Waino’s injury. Not to mention all the hate for trading Rasmus. It feels like it was destined to be the Cards all along, especially with the way they got into the playoffs.
And let’s not forget disposing of the Phillies with that ridiculous rotation.
Phillies_Aces35
I’d love to forget it 🙁
Big Time Mike
It is just more “welfare for billionaires!”
Phillies_Aces35
I don’t understand why those teams should get any extra picks or why that is a good idea. Just drop draft slotting, sign the CBA without screwing up baseball (unlikely) and retire.
$3081341
Why no draft slotting, its not hurting anybody.
Phillies_Aces35
It’s hurting teams that sign first round level talent in the 9th round.
Steve_in_MA
You know, its funny that Selig says he’ll retire at the end of 2012. I thought he was retired tonight, reading the MVP speech from a crumpled up sheet of paper. Someone should have just written on it, “and, I retire.” He would have read it and that would have been that.
Infield Fly
“There isn’t a mechanism in place,” said Selig…when asked about finding his successor…continues to maintain that he will retire on December 31st of 2012.
Oh yeah, that’s reeeaaal nice, Bud: a definitive plan with no definitive plan.
User 4245925809
He has an office already filled with handpicked (by him) lackey’s. Yankee Bob Watson is the one am most afraid of. Thought for awhile another poor choice was going to be Joe Torre, but guess he got tired of the stench even Selig was leaving around and left his employ.
$3081341
I like the idea of slotting, not real high on extra picks for players though. I’d like to see teams able to trade picks like all the other major sports.
soxin10
I think hard slotting is a good idea. It gives the lower income teams an even playing field. Teams like the Yankees, Phillies, Redsox will not get first round talent in the 6-10 rounds because they slip for cost reasons. If these kids are worth it, they will be millionaires anyway, just a matter of when. I would prefer they actually earn it.
Another reason is, regardless of how rich you think owners are, there is a finite amount of money. If lower level teams have to spend beyond their means for draft picks it leaves less on the Major league level. I really don’t understand why major league players don’t support the hard slot, more money for them.
Steve_in_MA
I don’t disagree with most of your post, but I will add that the lower payroll teams are having their draft costs paid for by the Sox, Yanks, Cubs, Dodgers, Cardinals, etc., in the form of the distribution of the luxury tax and the spread out allocation of large parts of the MLB licensing and TV revenues. I don’t see the small market teams as needing more help here, which is why I would be against hard slotting.
What we do need is a minimum payroll, because many smaller market teams don’t fully invest their share of the kickbacks they get from the big market teams. What they need are more innovative thinkers in their front offices on how to broaden their revenue bases. And they must be required to fully reinvest the monetary incentives they receive in players and player development.
mgsports
Yes Trading Picks is a must and moving to Offseason to.
Wysocki
So you are going to put a spending cap on draft picks…OK. So how does this help low payroll clubs that spend more on the draft because 1) they choose higher, 2) because this is the only way they can exercise advantage to higher payroll clubs, 3) they are talking about giving low payroll clubs additional picks. Plus BOS and NYY will still be able to outspend people if they want, they are the ones that can afford to pay a tax!!! How does this all make sense?