Major League Baseball’s proposal for playoff changes has not gone over well with players who have spoken out about it, and one player is taking aim at one of the goals of those changes.
MLB is reportedly floating a proposal to expand the playoffs by two teams in each league and add a reality-style angle where certain teams can select their opponents. One advantage of this proposal, MLB believes, is that more small-market teams will have a chance to overcome financial disparity and make the playoffs.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood doesn’t agree. He pointed out that even small-market clubs are worth a billion dollars or more, and the fact that they field teams with lower payrolls does not mean they’re struggling financially.
The Royals just sold for $1 BILLION there is no $ disparity. There are rich teams and there are really rich teams. All are capable to sign and field great rosters yet choose not to. Cheap teams shouldn’t be rewarded with the playoffs if they don’t spend. https://t.co/eulOinyyqP
— Alex Wood (@Awood45) February 11, 2020
MLB profits are at an all-time high. Some teams obviously have much higher profits than others — the Yankees certainly make more money than the Royals, for instance — but revenue sharing is meant to decrease that disparity. The second wild card has not really changed how teams operate — if anything, spending has gone down, as some teams realize that they can still make the playoffs without going all-in payroll-wise. Wood probably has a point, and that’s just one of the reasons that MLB’s proposal has been met with very negative feedback so far.
