2025 MLB Season

[18thandWells]

What a game.

All I could think about for 6 hours and 39 minutes was how uneven the playing field remains without a salary cap. If we don't have fundamental change ASAP, these games are going to continue to suck.

[Uncle Rico]

All I could think about for 6 hours and 39 minutes was how uneven the playing field remains without a salary cap. If we don't have fundamental change ASAP, these games are going to continue to suck.

Wow. That sounds terrible.

[The Sultan]

That schism isn't getting resolved anytime soon.

https://bsky.app/profile/dicknixon.bsky.social/post/3m47uca6gds2q

[wadesworld]

All I could think about for 6 hours and 39 minutes was how uneven the playing field remains without a salary cap. If we don't have fundamental change ASAP, these games are going to continue to suck.

Yes.  The Blue Jays only spend the 5th most money on their roster in the MLB.

The reality is the Dodgers are about to win their 3rd WS title in 6 years.  They'll win their 4th in 7 years if they head into the Playoffs healthy next year.  They're about to go 13-2 through the Playoffs while playing the teams with with the 3 best records in the regular season.

But hey, at least they've had to sell their future to put this roster together.  Oh wait, nevermind.  They have the number 1 farm system in baseball too, because they don't have to trade any pieces, they just outbid everyone.

They have three former MVPs on the roster, all of which came to them in free agency.  They have 5 Cy Young caliber arms (I understand not all 5 have won a Cy Young, but they're all capable of it) in their starting rotation.  3 came to them in free agency, and one they offered the most money to coming over from Japan.

But, it's a level playing field for sure.

[18thandWells]

Yes.  The Blue Jays only spend the 5th most money on their roster in the MLB.

The reality is the Dodgers are about to win their 3rd WS title in 6 years.  They'll win their 4th in 7 years if they head into the Playoffs healthy next year.  They're about to go 13-2 through the Playoffs while playing the teams with with the 3 best records in the regular season.

But hey, at least they've had to sell their future to put this roster together.  Oh wait, nevermind.  They have the number 1 farm system in baseball too, because they don't have to trade any pieces, they just outbid everyone.

They have three former MVPs on the roster, all of which came to them in free agency.  They have 5 Cy Young caliber arms (I understand not all 5 have won a Cy Young, but they're all capable of it) in their starting rotation.  3 came to them in free agency, and one they offered the most money to coming over from Japan.

But, it's a level playing field for sure.

Lotta words for "the Brewers hit .118 in the NLCS."

[MUBurrow]

In the late stage capitalism year of our Lord 2025, I'll never be mad at teams that actually try to win.

[The Sultan]

Lotta words for "the Brewers hit .118 in the NLCS."

[TallTitan34]

Yes.  The Blue Jays only spend the 5th most money on their roster in the MLB.

The reality is the Dodgers are about to win their 3rd WS title in 6 years.  They'll win their 4th in 7 years if they head into the Playoffs healthy next year.  They're about to go 13-2 through the Playoffs while playing the teams with with the 3 best records in the regular season.

But hey, at least they've had to sell their future to put this roster together.  Oh wait, nevermind.  They have the number 1 farm system in baseball too, because they don't have to trade any pieces, they just outbid everyone.

They have three former MVPs on the roster, all of which came to them in free agency.  They have 5 Cy Young caliber arms (I understand not all 5 have won a Cy Young, but they're all capable of it) in their starting rotation.  3 came to them in free agency, and one they offered the most money to coming over from Japan.

But, it's a level playing field for sure.

Alright you sold me.  No way Milwaukee can compete with that.

Contract the Brewers.

[wadesworld]

In the late stage capitalism year of our Lord 2025, I'll never be mad at teams that actually try to win.

Neither will I.

[wadesworld]

Alright you sold me.  No way Milwaukee can compete with that.

Contract the Brewers.

Have had no problem competing with the Cubs, though.

[wadesworld]

Lotta words for "the Brewers hit .118 in the NLCS."

Lotta words for, "The Dodgers had the 5 best starting pitchers and 3 best bats in the series, only one of which came to the Dodgers in any way other than the Dodgers being the highest bidder.  The Brewers aren't even close to as good as the Dodgers are.  Nor is any other team in the MLB."

[Scoop Snoop]

I'm not big on baseball but watch a little at season's end. How anyone in ET or CT would to stay up to watch that game until the end is a mystery to me.

I see that Muggsy logged 13, count 'em, 13 straight posts.    Congrats on setting a record Muggs. 

[MU82]

Two months ago, I asked my wife if she wanted to go to a Mariners game. She loves basketball and likes football, "But I don't really like baseball. It's so boring."

Then the Mariners were in the playoffs, and suddenly she was into it. And she really stunned me by staying awake to watch last night's game. The biggest upset of the MLB postseason so far!

[18thandWells]

There were six outs made in the bases last night, and besides the goofy Bo Bichette "thought it was ball 4," each was very good (at least) defensive play.

[MU82]

The biggest stars for the Dodgers were the minimum-wage relievers that nobody had heard of.

[muwarrior69]

The biggest stars for the Dodgers were the minimum-wage relievers that nobody had heard of.

Well, maybe they should think about working at a fast food joint where they can make $20/hr instead of $16.50/hr pitching for the Dodgers.

[muwarrior69]

Two months ago, I asked my wife if she wanted to go to a Mariners game. She loves basketball and likes football, "But I don't really like baseball. It's so boring."

Then the Mariners were in the playoffs, and suddenly she was into it. And she really stunned me by staying awake to watch last night's game. The biggest upset of the MLB postseason so far!

Good thing you don't live on the east coast anymore. Those die hard Bluejay fans were up til three in the morning.

[TallTitan34]

Have had no problem competing with the Cubs, though.

The Brewers have been better than the Cubs the last several years.

Funny how a team with a smaller payroll can consistently beat a team with a much larger payroll. 

[18thandWells]

Good thing you don't live on the east coast anymore. Those die hard Bluejay fans were up til three in the morning.

The local Tim Horton's must've been a sh!t show this morning.

[18thandWells]

The Brewers have been better than almost everyone in the last decade. If I understand the argument correctly, Milwaukee is too small of a market to not choke in the playoffs. If the system is not entirely crooked, please explain:

2018: Lost Game 7 of the NLCS.

2019: Trent Grisham can't field the ball; the team they let advance wins it all.

2020: The under-.500, 4th place Brewers are granted a postseason berth. The team they lose to in the "super wild card round" wins it all.

2021: They lose to a team that is 15th in payroll, (I think... payroll in general is really boring). That team wins the WS.

2022: Their payroll forces them to choke in September rather than October.

2023: They lose to a team that, (I think) has a lower payroll than the Brewers. That team wins the pennant.

2024: They host all three wild card games, but lose to the team with the higher payroll. That one had some sting on it.

2025: They receive a first-round bye and home field advantage throughout the World Series; however, due to economic factors, manage 4 runs in the NLCS.

If there was a salary cap, the Brewers have 2-3 World Series championships since 2018. At least I think that's the argument.

[JWags85]

Yes.  The Blue Jays only spend the 5th most money on their roster in the MLB.

They aren't Little Sisters of the Poor, but other than a couple FA arms, they didn't just go out and spend wildly.  Their roster is built by a bunch of smart moves.  Barger and Bichette are home grown draft picks, Kirk and Vlad were international FAs they signed very young (not the $50MM international signings some of the big clubs do). Clement was a minor league reclamation project, Lukes was a journeyman signed to a minor league deal in his late 20s.  Varsho was a cheap trade, Kiner-Falefa was signed off waivers.  Springer was really the only guy they splashed for and his contract is no different/worse comparatively to Yelich.

Even their pitchers aren't bad outside of Gausman.  Scherzer is old so he's not super expensive. Bieber is a rental.  Berrios isn't even top 30 in starter salaries.

Again, they aren't the Pirates, but take away the huge jump in Vlad's contract this year, and they are nearer to the 11-12 range instead of top 5.

[The Sultan]

A salary cap is not really going to be possible given that the players would have to approve, and there is no way they are doing that. MLB acquiring all local television rights, and allowing for some pooling of those rights, is a much more likely outcome. My guess is that the players would approve of that in return for a salary floor of some sort.

And that's fine by me. A cap just means that owners will pocket more.

Regardless, it certainly isn't impossible for lower revenue teams to win the World Series. But it certainly makes their window that much smaller. And when you have a high revenue team that is also extremely well run, like the Dodgers now or the Yankees of 1996-2003, its extremely difficult for even the best of low revenue teams to win.

[Shaka Shart]

A salary cap is not really going to be possible given that the players would have to approve, and there is no way they are doing that. MLB acquiring all local television rights, and allowing for some pooling of those rights, is a much more likely outcome. My guess is that the players would approve of that in return for a salary floor of some sort.

And that's fine by me. A cap just means that owners will pocket more.

Regardless, it certainly isn't impossible for lower revenue teams to win the World Series. But it certainly makes their window that much smaller. And when you have a high revenue team that is also extremely well run, like the Dodgers now or the Yankees of 1996-2003, its extremely difficult for even the best of low revenue teams to win.

Maybe other teams should be run better

[wadesworld]

The biggest stars for the Dodgers were the minimum-wage relievers that nobody had heard of.

Really?  Not the guy who reached base 9 times in a single game, including two home runs?

[wadesworld]

The Brewers have been better than the Cubs the last several years.

Funny how a team with a smaller payroll can consistently beat a team with a much larger payroll. 

Let me know when the Cubs have 5 starting pitchers that are capable of winning a Cy Young award and three MVPs on their roster at the same time, and when only one of those players was either home grown or traded for.  Then we'll talk about whether the Brewers will be able to compete with the Cubs.