Robert Manfred’s actions and decisions over the past few years have drawn attention from a wide range of people, whether through public disputes or conflicts with the unions. The MLB commission has avoided a salary cap, which may have leveled the playing field across the teams, irrespective of the market size. But that turned out to be a risky gamble, as dictated by MLB insider Ken Rosenthal.

While Major League Baseball continues to operate without a salary cap, posing risks to the MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ spending spree continues, with the other small teams lagging much behind in terms of spending. Following the massive spending by the Dodgers, there has been increased attention over the expiry of the collective bargaining agreement, which may increase the likelihood of a lockout. 

Robert Manfred’s risky take seems to threaten MLB

The lack of a salary cap has caused some detrimental effects on Major League Baseball; however, Robert Manfred shows no signs of tackling this problem given that the Dodgers are spending huge amounts on big players, leaving out nothing for the low-tier teams. On February 8, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal said, “There is a reasonable discussion that we need to have about whether the salary cap would be good. That’s an intellectual exercise; I have no problem with that discussion. The problem with that discussion is that the union is so adamantly opposed to a cap that that’s what we are looking at; if the owners try to impose, they’ve tried to impose it virtually every labour negotiation is a work stoppage. You will have a lockout. ”

Ken Rosenthal talked about Hal Steinbrenner, David Stearns, and David Rubenstein, who are looking forward to discussing the salary cap right after the labor agreement’s expiry on December 1, 2026. He even recalled the incidents of multiple losses and the strike from 1994 to 1995, after the players opposed the salary cap, which eventually led to the cancellation of the World Series too. Rosenthal went on to say how some owners consider it feasible to miss some games and even an entire season just for the sake of getting the salary gap, but that’s indeed wrong. Isn’t it? With a record-breaking revenue of $12.1 billion, it is important to solve the disparity in revenue problem between the large and small market teams, and Rosenthal believes it could be done without a salary cap.

A salary cap restructure could transform the MLB

While the presence of a salary cap may be worthy of resolving the revenue disparity among the large and small market teams, it can cause difficulty for the high-spending teams in MBL, especially the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets. It would also reduce their potential to bring in the major players that they used to acquire till now. Not only the salary cap could challenge their approach to deferring amounts of money from the players’ salaries, but it would also affect their operational costs. However, the salary cap introduction could be beneficial for many.

In addition to ensuring that player salaries are reshaped, the salary cap would help clubs improve their team development patterns. It would allow the low-tier teams to manage their funds properly and even get to sign some players that they never expected to buy before, given the huge spending made by the large market teams. Furthermore, it would eventually address the financial imbalances in MLB as well as prevent the risks of alienating the fanbase while promoting competitive rosters with budgetary aspects taken into consideration as well.

What’s your opinion of the salary cap, and do you think it will be possible to solve the problem of revenue and spending disparity in MLB without it? Let us know in the comment section below.