I intentionally sat on this to keep away from it being a kneejerk response. But three days later, I nonetheless ask: What’s the purpose any extra?
[Update: as expected, the Dodgers have indeed now also signed the largest pitching contract in the history of the game as well. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has inked a 12-year contract for $325 million, and Los Angeles will be paying another $50 million plus in posting fee to his team in Japan. Does this change anyone’s mind, to agree that baseball is broken? Or do I need to insert the “This is fine” GIF?]
My love of the sport, at the least on the major-league stage, has been on skinny ice over the previous few years. It started to say no in 2020, when the pandemic confirmed me I might reside with out it. Subsequent occasions, which I will not get into, broken the sport additional, and the actual fact the D-backs sucked did not assist. By the top of 2021, and thru 2022, I solely watched the video games I used to be obliged to, for recap functions, and stopped going to Chase Field solely. There have been merely higher, extra fulfilling methods to spend the time.
However, this 12 months checked the downward pattern. It started with the World Baseball Classic, the place the UK vs. Colombia sport was essentially the most enjoyable I’d had on the ballpark in many years. The rule modifications made for a far brighter, quicker paced sport: I used to be now not spending 4 hours an evening watching millionaires adjusting their batting gloves. And the D-backs – at the least for the primary half – have been concerned in a aggressive NL West race. They could have ‘backed into the postseason’ (TM), however they then went on a storybook run to the World Series. All appeared at the least considerably alright with the sport once more.
But occasions this week have reversed all that progress. It’s no exaggeration to say, I’m now again to the purpose the place I’m questioning, why the hell I ought to care concerning the nice bulk of the season. For the Shohei Ohtani deal has destroyed any phantasm of aggressive stability in MLB. The group with near-infinite assets, which received the division by sixteen video games this 12 months, simply added the very best participant within the American League for the following decade, and over that point will likely be paying him IN TOTAL much less that the Diamondbacks paid Madison Bumgarner for 16.2 innings this season.
Can anybody clarify precisely why I ought to even hassle watching the primary 162 video games subsequent 12 months? Because it appears an totally pointless endeavor. Might as properly skip your complete common season, and tune in for the playoffs. Hopefully, to cheer on the wild-card Diamondbacks – but when not, to assist no matter group is taking part in the but once more NL West champion Dodgers. Oh, I’m certain the take care of Ohtani, through which 97.1% of his wage is deferred, and they are going to be paying $68 million to the 49-year-old in 2044, is “authorized”. But it makes a whole mockery of the system supposedly in place to make sure aggressive stability.
Rather than honest market worth, Los Angeles will as an alternative be paying Ohtani lower than half of what Arizona can pay Miguel Castro subsequent 12 months. This will enable the richest group within the league to hoover up no matter different superstars they need, most probably together with pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. And, sure, it IS concerning the Dodgers. If the deal had gone to a group which wanted such totally unprecedented monetary jiggery-pokery, and had narrowed the hole between baseball’s haves and have-nots, I’d have been considerably okay with it. I’d have raised an eyebrow, however there wouldn’t be the identical sense of the sport’s stability being broken for years to return.
It’s not simply me both who feels this manner. Here’s a collection of quotes from a single Reddit thread on the subject:
- This completely mustn’t fly, if it does, that is going to be horrible for the game
- I received’t lie, this feels so unlawful.
- So that is how baseball dies…to thunderous applause.
- I’m somewhat shortly shedding curiosity in MLB. like how is that this okay? We’re simply transferring in the direction of a future like that of Premier League the place there’s like 3 wealthy golf equipment who truly compete after which the remainder of the league is fodder. What’s the purpose?
- I do not even see a degree in watching baseball at this level. It’s only a competitors for which homeowners have the deepest pockets.
Yet, by some means, supposedly “skilled” journalists – popularity already in tatters by the pre-announcement shitshow – are nonetheless writing Shohei Ohtani is the place he belongs with Dodgers and baseball is best for it articles. This contains sentences like “LA is the place Ohtani belongs. Just glad he knew that, too,” which I might be bodily embarrassed to jot down. RIP baseball reporting, December 2023. See additionally:
No, Ken. This is why journalism, not simply in baseball, is dying. Too many writers making an attempt to inform the viewers what they need to suppose, somewhat than reflecting and addressing their considerations. When Mad Dog Russo is the voice of reason, baseball IS damaged. It’s fixable, however that’s doubtless a subject for one more day (James has already mentioned some choices). Right now, although, blatant gaming of the system is lauded by the fourth property. Perhaps the worst instance is the gaslighting from Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors who wrote Why Shohei Ohtani’s Contract Structure Is Not A Luxury Tax Dodge. Let’s see. Contract worth: $700m. Luxury tax worth: $460m. I do know math is tough, however that is the very definition of a tax dodge. Dierkes additionally has the temerity to complete with this:
The mixture of Friday’s shaky reporting suggesting Ohtani was heading to the Blue Jays, plus an unprecedented contract construction, appears to be main some followers to villainize him. I believe that’s a disgrace, as a result of he has been squeaky-clean off the sphere and stays a generational and thrilling participant.
Oh, look: one other out of contact reporter. Know who was additionally “a generational and thrilling participant”? Barry Bonds. Didn’t cease him from being a cheater, almost universally despised. Ohtani has blown it, having apparently by no means heard the saying, “With nice energy comes nice duty.” After an obvious sham course of, since there was little doubt he was at all times going to LA, Ohtani selected to make use of his distinctive position – incomes $40 million a 12 months from endorsements, so his taking part in wage is almost irrelevant – to chase rings and undermine the aggressive construction of the key leagues. Shohei has turn out to be Evil Spiderman. He’s lifeless to me.
We’ll see how subsequent season performs out, in fact. But ought to anybody wish to guess towards the Dodgers successful the division, you realize the place to search out me. Last 12 months, the Dodgers’ post-season odds at no level declined beneath 87%. 2024 figures to be much more of a procession, and that’s simply not fascinating to me. If issues unfold as I count on, it’s very doubtless that by the top of April, I’m going to be proper again to watching solely the video games I’m contractually obliged to, for recap functions. Otherwise, wake me when the playoffs begin,
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