Players Union to Marlins: Show Us the Money!!
With 30 MLB organizations, you would think that there would be enough money to pass around, right?
Not according to the most powerful union on earth – the MLB players’ union.
The Florida Marlins have grudgingly reached an agreement with the players’ union to increase their spending of payroll to avoid a violation of baseball’s revenue sharing provisions. Now, what is an increase – that’s not defined.
Year after year, the Marlins have had one of the lowest payrolls in all of baseball, but it’s not that they’ve been one of the worst teams at the same time. Here is the team’s payroll and for the last four years, along with their winning percentage:
| Year | Payroll | Payroll Rank | Win % Rank |
| 2009 | $36.8M | 30th (of 30) | 10th |
| 2008 | $21.8 M | 30th | 14th |
| 2007 | $30.5M | 29th | 26th |
| 2006 | $15.0M | 30th | 18th |
You must realize, each year, a team in a smaller market is given money from teams in larger markets through revenue sharing rules to spend on payroll. For instance, the Yankees, who have their own network and the biggest market of all, must share money with teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals, who do not have as many opportunities to make money. The Marlins are one of these teams that are ‘shared’ money to.
This is during a game.
Of course, ethics says that this money should be spent on players. That’s what the Yankees do when they get money, and they win a lot of games with those players. The Marlins have a knack for putting a decent team on the field despite not having a huge payroll, but when they don’t spend money, they generally don’t make the playoffs. In this case, the team may not spend all of that money on the team, but that’s what the players’ union wants to make sure happens. Don’t forget that the players’ union is trying to make money for the players…that’s kind of the point here.
I like the idea of revenue sharing, but its hard to ensure that a team will that money wisely. Will the Marlins spend their money on good free agents? Will they force the money upon players they already have? Will they build a team, or will they spend it to suffice a rule. Not sure, but at least Wayne Huizenga isn’t there owner!
First things first with this new found spending: ink Hanley Ramirez to a long-term deal!
Leave your response!