Phillies: Dollars and sense before spring training
By Tal Venada
While Phillies stupid money would satisfy their loudest critics, it doesn’t mean unlimited financial spending by general manager Matt Klentak and the decision-makers above him on the totem pole.
Negotiating required:
Positive vibes are contagious among the Philadelphia Phillies faithful because previous doubts and rumors are falling by the wayside. But last offseason, the market changed, and players are discovering it wasn’t an oddity: Many clubs aren’t agreeing to longer and more expensive contracts for top-tier free agents.
"IN OTHER WORDS: “A million dollars isn’t what it used to be.” – Howard Hughes"
Regarding offers, organizations don’t want to lock in a roster slot for 10 campaigns or more and commit $325 million plus. And they also aren’t for shorter-term pacts with high AAVs (average annual value): $35-40 million per 162. A new normal?
Luxury Tax penalties for first overage:
- 20 percent for every dollar over $206 million.
- 32.5 percent for every dollar over threshold if over $226 million.
- 42.5 percent for every dollar over threshold if over $246 million and a ten-space drop in the MLB Draft for their first selection after the sixth overall.pick.
One reason is surpassing 2019’s competitive-balance threshold of $206 million. Yes, many deep-pocketed franchises favored to sign the top free agents would easily exceed the tax-rate line with a $20 million AAV acquisition. And those increased penalties have discouraged teams from unlimited spending.
Of course, the market is also sluggish due to agents like Scott Boras and stars expecting big paydays. However, those days might be ending due to Klentak’s current lack of competition.
As for the Phillies, their philosophy is to exceed the competitive-balance threshold if the player will give them an excellent shot to win the National League Championship. But everything has been short of that for years, and ’19 is no different due to the rotation’s shortcomings.
Why are some fans questioning the Phils lack of stupid-money lavishness? Because their reasoning is incomplete due to the absence of obstacles: competition, rules, financial information, and a limited time frame to name four.