Bleacher Bums Forum

Fangraphs odds on WS winner is 66% Dodgers, 34% Jays.

I’ve got a couple of takes so far tonight.

1.  I’ve really only watched the Jays in Game 7 of the ALCS and so far, but they’re fun to watch!  It’s definitely refreshing to see a team emphasize contact in this era and have success with it.  Hopefully this might help get the trend away from high strikeout, three true outcomes baseball.

2.  Fox could really upgrade from John Smoltz in the booth.  I used to think he was all right, but he just puts me to sleep now with a lot of platitudes and not always great game predicting.

Plus there’s a little extra hot sauce on their motivation thanks to the current political climate.

11-2 Toronto.  Snell has been so great, but tonight HR, 8 hits, 3 walks, 5 runs in 5+ innings. 

He’ll be fine. But what matters is that if Toronto can get to that bullpen, they have a shot. It’s a weakness, beyond a doubt.

Normal service has been restored.

I'm so glad the Cubs still have their financial flexibility intact this offseason. They'd be so much worse off if they'd signed Yamamoto two years ago.

Nice to have a $550 M payroll (including CBT tax) like Dodgers…..and a pipeline to the best players from the Far East (a combination of geography, historical ties, and big money).

Can even spend close to $30 M on two veteran relievers with negative WAR not even on post-season roster.

Not going to compete with that.

Truly a waste of time to lament unless you want to be an advocate of a salary cap and the long work stoppage it will take for the owners to hope to achieve that.

I’m fine with a work stoppage to fix the issue.

I would also require a minimum payroll number as well as a maximum.

I think the Dodgers broke baseball.  This is going to cause a long labor issue.

The Dodgers are just the best run organization in MLB, I don't blame them. They try very hard to win every year, and they try very hard to improve their team every offseason. They haven't broken any rules.

The bigger problem is that a lot of teams aren't trying very hard. Teams like the Cubs, Red Sox, and Orioles could spend a lot more, but they don't because it's just as profitable to take on less risk, spend less, and barely get into the playoffs. Teams like the Guardians, Rays, and Brewers are good at player development, but then they dump their soon-to-be free agents every offseason instead of ever going all-in for a championship. The Pirates have the best pitcher in baseball, but they did nothing last offseason to supplement him. Teams like the Angels, A's, Rockies, and White Sox just have owners that should sell their team.

A salary cap won't fix anything. The Dodgers will still be the best run team in baseball. They'll spend as much as they can and take advantage of every loophole in the rules to be the best team in baseball. The Cubs (and a lot of other teams) will use the salary cap in the same way they've used the luxury tax--just another excuse to spend less than they should.