This offseason, the New York Yankees signed the consensus top two free agents to record-breaking contracts. SP C.C. Sabathia got a seven-year, $161M contract, the highest ever for a pitcher. 1B Mark Teixeira inked an eight-year, $180M contract, giving the Yankees the four highest single-player payrolls in Major League Baseball (Sabathia, Teixeira, 3B Alex Rodriguez - 10yrs, $275M, SS Derek Jeter - 10yrs, $189M). They also signed SP AJ Burnett to a five-year, $82.5M deal, which would be tops on most teams but barely in the top five on the Yankees' ledgers. All told, over $423.5M in salary has been committed in salary over the past month, by far a record in professional sports. What the Yankees want, they buy.
But is it enough for a salary cap? Yes, the Yankees did have an impressive run in the later 1990's, winning the World Series in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000. They made the playoffs eleven straight years, and lost two World Series and several ALCS. They had one of the best teams in MLB history (the 1998 Yankees went a record 114-28 and swept the Padres in the World Series) and became only the 4th team to win three straight World Series titles (joining two other Yankees teams and the 72-74 Oakland A's).
However, consider this. Only twice in the last thirty years has a team won the World Series with a payroll over $100M: The 2004 and 2007 Red Sox. In those 30 years, 20 different teams have won World Series titles. In those same 30 years, 14 different teams have won the Super Bowl, 13 have won the Stanley Cup and nine have won the NBA championship. Yeah, having such a financial disparity between teams makes it easier to buy the players needed to reach the postseason. However, a top-tier payroll does not result in teams consistently winning championships. Despite how it seems, has had more parity than any other major sport in the last 30 years, if you define parity by how many unique teams have won a championship.
You decide. But don't just tell me you want one; that's obvious. Implement it. How much should the cap be? Hard cap or soft cap? Salary cap floor? Let's hear those ideas.
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Great post. I'm sick of people just blasting the Yankees and saying there should be a salary cap. I hate the Yankees, but, clearly, these people have been comotose for the last decade. The Yankees haven't won the World Series and teams like the Rockies and Rays have. Assembling an all-star team doesn't result in an automatic championship. The Yanks and fans clamoring for a salary cap should know that. Look at the late 90's Yankees' teams. They had chemistry and role players, the forgotten elements. Guys who don't put up the numbers but came through in the clutch. The point is you could pay A-Rod one billion dollars a year and he'll still hit .200 in the playoffs, but he's essential to get there.
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