MLB: The Solution to Tanking and the Free Agency Crisis

Solving Free Agency in MLB

The MLB this year has historically bad teams, with the Orioles, Tigers and Royals all with a winning percentage of under .330 with Baltimore having the worst record in baseball winning only 27 out of their first 89 games… 21 qualifying hitters have higher a batting average than the Orioles’ winning percentage!

But are these teams losing on purpose?

The Miami Marlins started the notorious ‘2018 sell-off’ during which the Marlins would ship away reigning NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton, future NL MVP Christian Yelich, and All-Stars Dee Gordon and Marcell Ozuna. New part-owner Derek Jeter started trading away all of the big money players, and anyone who would save money on the payroll while also amassing some prospects.

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

The Marlins were last in attendance in the MLB, averaging less than 10,000 fans per game, which is more than 6000 less than the next team.

In 2017, the Marlins finished in 2nd place in their division. Their record at the end of the 2018 season was 63-98 and they finished last in the NL…

So how could the MLB fix this and make teams WANT to win?

The MLB has a Luxury Tax, i.e a soft salary cap which limits the big market teams from completely buying out the market, but if the small market teams don’t want to spend, it doesn’t matter what the cap is. I believe that the MLB should implement a required Minimum Spending Mandate.

By setting a ‘Spending Minimum’, there will be a more equal balance in the MLB because bad teams like the Marlins and Blue Jays will have to sign one or two high-end stars.  Bringing stars to your team will, in turn, bring more fans to the games.

Furthermore, the MLBPA will be all for it as will result in more players getting paid more money.

In addition, this would extend veteran stars time in the league as teams will be willing to pay short term, heavily bloated contracts.

BOOM!

(*Drops the mic*)