Quote:
Originally Posted by darkcloud4579
I've opposed a salary cap in baseball, but this thread almost makes me want to advocate for it. Not that my opinion would matter, but...it's pretty compelling evidence, because I just hadn't realized how much salaries exploded over the past decade.
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The problem isn't really salaries, it's the drastically uneven amount of local revenue generated by clubs. When the Yankees are breaking $309 million in local revenue and the Red Sox $252 million while Baltimore is at $101 million, Toronto at $49 million, and Tampa at $41 million, it would seem rather difficult for the Orioles, Blue Jays, and Rays to compete on a consistent basis when it comes to paying for talent. Revenue sharing helps, but still leaves a considerable gap.
Net of revenue sharing and the luxury tax,
Forbes estimated that, in 2008, the Yankees took in $375 million in total revenue; the Red Sox, $269 million; the Orioles, $174 million; the Blue Jays, $172 million, and the Rays, $160 million. That $215 million advantage the Yankees have over the Rays is enough for them to pay for 68 players at the MLB average salary of about $3.2 million.