MLB’s record profitability, coupled with improved analytical metrics, means looming labor issues may not be resolvable
MLB reported record revenues of $10.8 billion during 2018. Median salaries were at $1.5 million with a record $535,000 minimum. And while attendance fell by about 4 percent, that appeared due to abnormally poor weather rather than lack of fan interest.
In the face of all that, how could the game possibly be headed toward labor trouble, as many fear will occur when the current agreement expires at the end of the 2021 season.
As implausible as it sounds, those concerns are real. And, at least from the standpoints of the two sides, there are valid precipitating reasons on both sides. Beyond that, there are also legitimate reasons to see those concerns as close to irreconcilable.
Consider the issues from the differing perspectives of the opposing sides.
Players view the free agent system as having become dysfunctional. As camps open, they see more than 50 players still on the market including four viewed as among the most valuable: Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel. And, given the amount of money being hauled in by most teams, they wonder why.
Take Harper as an example. From an agent’s viewpoint, he will bring two values this new team. The first is on-field. In 2015 he produced one of the great seasons in recent baseball history, including a league-leading 42 home runs, 124 walks, a league-leading .460 on base average, a league-leading .649 slugging average and a 198 OPS+. That means Harper was roughly twice as valuable as an average player.
Factor in that he’s still just entering his age 26 season and in good health, and agents wonder why every team wouldn’t want such a player.