Chicago Cubs: Rob Manfred is up to his old tricks, yet again

I just couldn’t write another article on the Chicago Cubs tear down, or what Tom Ricketts is doing, or anything Cubs.  Not this week anyway. Instead we’ll look the looming issue of the MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and how MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is at it again.  In all the trade deadline drama there was a proposal out of MLB that proves Manfred is just completely lost.

Coming off of the huge success that was the inaugural Field of Dreams Game, it seemed Manfred and MLB had maybe begun to turn the corner.  That would have been great.  So many daft ideas have floated out from the league offices over recent years that I’ve lost count at this point.

Some have died ignominious deaths, a few linger in the minors or independent leagues, others remain in reserve, as if MLB is some warehouse of stupid ideas. OK, sure, not everything you throw at the wall is going to stick.  But it would be nice if Manfred could at least hit the wall a little more frequently like he did with the Field of Dreams game.

However, there is one thing that Manfred can not screw up. That is the upcoming CBA.  This isn’t the time nor the issue for throwing stuff at the wall to see if it sticks.

Yet that’s exactly what Manfred did.  In talks with MLBPA, which are in the early stages, the League proposed a set of provisions that play the old bait and switch, Lucy with the football nonsense that went on during the last CBA negotiation.

Chicago Cubs:  Even Tom Ricketts should hate this idea

There might be room to negotiate a salary floor between the MLBPA and the owners.  However, I guarantee you that the idea of lowering the salary threshold is a total nonstarter for the MLBPA.

To review, the Competitive Balance Tax threshold for 2021 is $210 million.  Only two teams, the Dodgers and Red Sox, exceeded the threshold in 2021. Five more teams, the Astros, Yankees, Padres, Angels, and Mets are within $10 million of the 2021 threshold.

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Manfred floated the idea of lowering the threshold in 2022 to $180 million, a full $30 million lower than 2021.  Not only would the seven aforementioned teams exceed that threshold were it in place today, but the Phillies and Cardinals would be above that mark.

That means fully one third of MLB teams would exceed that proposed threshold.  On top of that, the White Sox, Nationals, and Giants are currently within $10 million of Manfred’s proposed threshold.

The axe that would fall on the payrolls of those top ten teams would total almost $260 million. In addition it would create an instant cap on the remaining three teams.  The Cubs, who just gutted their payroll, would be within $40 million of that cap right now.

Fans wouldn’t see a dime these savings, but it would be great for MLB owners.  They would slash payrolls, crank up ticket and concession prices, wrangle more lucrative TV deals, and rake in more billions as baseball profits continue to skyrocket.

Nice try Mr. Commissioner.  There are serious discussions to be had to avoid a lockout in 2022.  How about getting serious, Rob?