Markakis Renewed

It'd be better for baseball to somehow regulate the massive disparity between pre-arbitration eligible players, and free agents. Premier free agents shouldn't be making $18 million (of course, that's what the market bears now), and great young players shouldn't be making all of 400K for 3 years.

Isn't this the way most jobs work? Seniority taking precedence over results?

I think the prcoess just doesn't make sense. You sign free agents AFTER their prime years, so right there you are setting yourself up for disapiontment. And also, the disparity is just so huge. Maybe there will be a market correction since there are so many good young players now.

I like how you equate it to an average person. It puts light to perspective of how athletes can whine about something and then actually get there way, rather than getting fired.

It truly is a shame that the Orioles, in their infinite fiscal wisdom, decided unilaterally to only up Nick Markakis a measly 55k. They certainly had the right to do that given Markakis is not yet arbitration eligible...but come on guys...think bigger picture here. Putting the squeeze on your best player is not going to help anything but the bottom line.

I think an almost 14% raise seems fair. Let him get overpaid in a few years. Or get a job endoring crap.

endorsing*

John Maine's response to getting his contract renewed is classic.

"I'm not really worried about it," Maine said. "It's still good money. I'll be able to pay off my cell phone bill."

that maine comment is funny. anyways what on earth do the orioles care. its not like markakis is going to be around long term anyways. i guess its possible the os will want to lock him up but he would also have to want to stay there. remember the tigers a few years ago. if the os want to make a comeback they will have to overpay for everybody down the road. and seriously, are they building for 2010? 2011? 2023? thats one franchise i really dont understand. at least they have given up trying to compete for now.

If ever-escalating salaries had no impact on the cost of going to a game for fans, I might have more sympathy. And if it wasn't their own union that had negotiated this inequity, I might have more sympathy. And if old players getting $8 million for an OBP of .288 would give back $7 million, I might have more sympathy. And if the aggrieved players weren't making more than 99% of Americans make for playing a game most of us would love to play, I might have more sympathy.

I really feel bad for people ONLY making 455K this year and ONLY getting a 55K raise

life must be rough

ya know, players need to stop whining I mean seriously 99% of players put the screws to the team they play for as soon as they have a breakout year.

When teams can "hold out" for a new contract with players, then maybe I'll care.

Sounds like the players are gearing up to demand a change here.

I'm not sure what Markakis' issue is. Yeah, worse players are getting paid more. (Gibbons, anyone?) But he's going to make bank once he gets into arbitration, and the O's will lock him up long-term in a few years with a sweet deal.

This just sounds like a grumble with no downstream impact.

At least Kakes doesn't play in Philly, then he'd really be hearing alot of complaining. If baseball players keep getting what they "feel" is right, we're going to see the Carlos Silva's of the world ending up with $10 million in their second year of arbitration.

Down the road, I see another strike coming.

Veterans in the clubhouses where these young players are whining about being renewed need to step in and school these kids. This is the system that everyone has signed on for and, considering that the top tier of players are making around $20mm a year now, I think it's fair. Baseball is a job and it's not unusual to have to wait a few years before you start making the big money. That's not to mention that these guys are making more tham 90% of the rest of us.

I think the young players, particularly pitchers, have a right to be upset, but find their complaining about the teams' actions to be completely out of line.

They should be complaining to their union reps, because this is exactly what the players signed up for.

Of course, the union reps are typically veterans who stand to gain from this system.

One of the good things about basebally's salary structure is that normally, as free agents, players do get what they deserve. By that I mean that Luis Gonzalez is getting $2M a year instead of the $12M or whatever he used to get, because he's no longer a good player.

The problem, of course, is that league-average FAs make much more than near-superstar 2nd and 3rd year players, especially pitchers - because of their increased injury risk teams are less inclined to sign them to long-term deals (eg. Yankees with Wang, Sox with Papelbon, etc.) - and rightly so.

In theory, everyone should just be a free agent - but of course that would be insane.

I would prefer to see a more smooth salary structure for the young players - perhaps something like $400k first year, $800k 2nd, $1.6M 3rd, and so on - doubling until th 6th year, where a player is a free agent. If at any point the team doesn't want to pay that much, they can make a player one best offer - he can then either take it or become a free agent. It's almost like arbitration.

It would also decrease FA salaries, because pre-FA players are making more.

Thoughts?