In an effort to cope with my Phillies loss, I am increasingly irritated with the incredibly high salary of the yankees compared to the rest of the league. How does that level an equal starting point?

If a team has the money, why not spend it? If this was reversed you would be defending the Phillies. Im assuming you want Halladay this off season, right? We probably can't do that because of the cash. But if we did have the cash we could do it and you would obviously be thrilled.

There's an example. The Yankees do have the cash and are willing to spend it on free agents and trades, etc.

It's not like they're cheating the system. They just have money.

I definately see your side but I also see the side where the salaries of teams are drastically different. Other por sports have something and it only helps even the playing field out

The problem is small market teams like Pittsburgh love the money the Yankees give them thru taxes and revenue sharing but they dont spend it onto the team instead they pocket it. They dont care about winning or being competitive

You do know there already are "some" restrictions to the free market in regard to baseball right?

To name a few, draft rules, anti trust agreement with congress allowing..... limitations of owners to sell, buy or move their teams where ever they want without the approval of their "competitors". There is some limited revenue sharing in a very very POOR luxury tax. Soooooo, why would we limit them like this???? Thats what I want you to answer for yourself before we go on????

The Answer....to make the playing field fairer so more teams have an equal chance. Well, it is not working as planned!!!! Sure, other teams are getting there but one team is in the playoffs nearly every year and those small market teams that do get there are usually on a timeframe where they (for them) are spending above their heads and cant afford to KEEP what they buold like the greedy Yanks can.

Sooooo Id say either fix this problem RIGHT, or remove ALL these limitations to free markets, remove the antio trust agreement with congress and allow full competition and let the last man standing turn off the lights. The yankees have it both ways and thats not fair. They would not want full competition because they KNOW once they put everyone else outta business , who would they play? Yet they want only teeeeeeeny tiny, controls!!

Tennis and golf both have free unrestricted competition. Since the controls they have in MLB STINK for the little guy, Id just as soon give it a try and allow anyone that wants to buy a team on any given year try and spend anything they want, for any player and see what transpires.

The problem is, there's teams that HAVE money but refuse to spend it. These owners have realized baseball is more a business now than ever, and are only in it to pad their wallets. Theres a good 60% of teams who refuse to reinvest their revenue stream back into the franchise.

Why would any Phillies Fan want a Salary Cap now? You realize that the Phillies would be hurt by a cap too, as in no more $130 Million payrole.

If MLB had a salary cap it would probably be somewhere between 80 - 100 Million.. In other words, bye bye Howard/Werth.... Be careful what you wish for, we aren't a small market team anymore....

Let's see, now. Salaries, eh?

MMMmmm............. in 2008 the Phillies, with a payroll of close to $99 million dollars beat the Tampa Bay Rays, with a payroll of close to $44 million (second lowest in the ML). Phillies payroll was more than TWICE that of Tampa.

Was anyone discussing salaries then?

Interesting.

These poor teams get millions in FREE, unearned MONEY from teams like the Yankees from the "luxury tax".

Then, the cheapskate owners of those "poor" teams pocket the money for themselves and DON'T invest it in their teams.

Boo hoo. "Poor" teams. Cry me a river.

-RB

I agree with you. I believe that baseball is one of the last remaining professional sports league that doesn't have a salary cap. Teams like the Yankees are destroying baseball and putting other teams, such as the Pirates, Padres and Royals, out of business. I just don't see how A-Rod justifies getting the money he makes. He is paid more per season than the entire Pittsburgh Pirates team.

At one time, people used to see baseball as a blue-collar sport but no longer. Now it's a game of overpaid athletes who sometimes play when they want to (Manny Ramirez) instead of when they are paid to.

"In other words, bye bye Howard/Werth.... Be careful what you wish for, we aren't a small market team anymore...."

Ill turn that completely around on you. Get back to me in a few years when Chase Utley is a Yankee and Howard is a Yankee because we could not meet the demands that Gorge Stein (sp intentional) placed on the Phillies. The problem with the present system is not just because team like the Yankees can buy a post season berth year aftger year, thats bad enough! The problem is THEY are the only ones who can afford to KEEP thier players, all the while driving the prices up for other teams to simply keep what they have , much less get better.

A cap and a minimum are needed badly in this sport.

"Get back to me in a few years when Chase Utley is a Yankee and Howard is a Yankee"

1. Chase Utley is only going to play for one team his whole career..

2. If the Phillies continue to draw 3 million plus a year then you have nothing to worry about since they should afford to have a $130 million payroll for the foreseeable future..

The problem with the Yankees model will be apparent in a year or two when they are paying $100 million in dead debt another $120 in payroll and are in third place. If the Yankees have two bad years in a row they will self-combust..

The best model in baseball right now is the Red Sox / Phillies model. Both teams are built similarly with a solid mix of free agents, home grown veterans and young (i.e. dirt cheap) high performing younger players.

This is why you can’t trade Happ/Taylor/Brown/Drybek for Halladay.. You need their contributions and cheap salaries to keep this machine rolling….

"1. Chase Utley is only going to play for one team his whole career.."

How old are you? I ask this, because, in MY 53 years I cant TELL you how many times I have heard that right out of a players mouth only to see them accept outrageouis sums of money that thye simply cant turn down.

"2. If the Phillies continue to draw 3 million plus a year then you have nothing to worry about since they should afford to have a $130 million payroll for the foreseeable future.."

If you think, keeping this teams better players (Howard Chase) and placing good solid players around them will not require HUGE and I mean HUGE salary rises, I dont see how you can believe that. There are three possible scenerios in regard to these players (A) they leave in trade because we cant afford to keep them (B) we pay them what they want and cant afford a supporting caste (C) the salary rises significantly.

"This is why you can’t trade Happ/Taylor/Brown/Drybek for Halladay.. You need their contributions and cheap salaries to keep this machine rolling…."

I agree with the concept, but you better be darn sure of your scouting is all I can say. Look how FAST even the best can come back down to earth. Who wouldve thought some idiots on this board would be able to get away with suggesting Hamels leave without getting HAMMERED from the entire board. Dont get me wrong, I predict a huge change in Cole next year but you just never know do ya?