OT: Phillies: We Might Just Get A Little Stupid Spending: Offseason Part One

[Les Averman]

The reasoning seems legit - I'm not as high as Harper as some but I think he plays with an attitude that the city will love, he'd be in a hitter-friendly park, and he'll certainly drive ticket sales. And honestly, I don't care how much money it costs and I don't understand criticism about overpaying if the owner wants to do it.

Baseball is the only sport where the owner can truly have this much control. In hockey, football and basketball, there's not much deviation from the mean of what teams are spending on their players. In 2018, the highest payroll was nearly 160 million more than the smallest. Money is king in baseball and if an owner isn't worried about being reckless with his money, then by all means, throw your money at guys who can make an impact, even if it's 5 million more per year than the market suggests he should.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

They pay minor leaguers like **** and they get young guys on sweetheart deals for about 6-7 years.

The guys that make it far enough to get to free agency deserve all the money they get.

Is it even really that crazy anymore though? Guys still get paid well on yearly salaries but the days every big free agent getting some lucrative long term contract regardless of age is pretty much gone. A lot more teams are just sitting back & not spending now a days too.

 

[WestrnPhlyr]

Don't worry about the spelling, the Phillies are getting a dominate player.

 

[Les Averman]

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

I’m going to read into that.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Is it even really that crazy anymore though? Guys still get paid well on yearly salaries but the days every big free agent getting some lucrative long term contract regardless of age is pretty much gone. A lot more teams are just sitting back & not spending now a days too.

Yep. Payrolls are down due to a variety of issues. Half the league has no interest in FAs. It's just a thing people say now.

Besides, if there's one league where stars are appropriately paid, it's baseball. In an uncapped NBA world, Lebron would have a signed a contract worth over a billion.

 

[XDevilBoiX]

Don't worry about the spelling, the Phillies are getting a dominate player.

Fingers crossed, Phillies still in the hunt for Machado also.

 

[Les Averman]

I’m going to read into that.

You bet your ass I will be too. Maybe I'm going way too far down the rabbit hole but there's legitimately no reason for them to put '76 unless they're trying to stir crap up (which would be great marketing, if that's their only angle, BTW) or they know something.

 

[Here4ThaLids]

You bet your ass I will be too. Maybe I'm going way too far down the rabbit hole but there's legitimately no reason for them to put '76 unless they're trying to stir crap up (which would be great marketing, if that's their only angle, BTW) or they know something.

They're referencing the game Fallout 76.

 

[FatTugboatFlahr]

They're referencing the game Fallout 76.

No. They’re referencing Harper signing with the Phillies.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Yep. Payrolls are down due to a variety of issues. Half the league has no interest in FAs. It's just a thing people say now.

Besides, if there's one league where stars are appropriately paid, it's baseball. In an uncapped NBA world, Lebron would have a signed a contract worth over a billion.

I mean we signed Arietta for like what $60M/3 years or something? Like ten years ago that dude is probabaly getting a huge 8-9 year deal.

 

[Jtown]

I mean we signed Arietta for like what $60M/3 years or something? Like ten years ago that dude is probabaly getting a huge 8-9 year deal.

arietta really got screwed.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

I mean not really. He got screwed in the sense there was nobody dumb around anymore to give him a contract he wouldn’t come anywhere close to supplying enough value to justify in the end.

One year in his current contract isn’t exactly a great one but it’s not a killer like it could have been back then.

 

[Jtown]

I mean not really. He got screwed in the sense there was nobody dumb around anymore to give him a contract he wouldn’t come anywhere close to supplying enough value to justify in the end.

One year in his current contract isn’t exactly a great one but it’s not a killer like it could have been back then.

i mean when he was a dominate pitcher he was getting paid pennies, lost the velocity and then was a FA. He couldn't capitalize on his success.

 

[Hiesenberg]

I think MLB/MLBPA will head for a work stoppage. Players have to get FA earlier. MLB teams have control over these players for, I think, like 7 years. They get to FA (most of the time around 28-29, maybe even 30, then the same owners claim they're all old and won't sign them for longer than 2 or 3 years.

MLBPA either have to get Free Agency earlier or pay the MILB players better.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

I saw someone comment somewhere or say on TV something like "getting fans to care about how much players are paid is the greatest ruse played on the public in modern history." I don't know if I agree about the "in modern history" part but it is a pretty big scam. These billionaires are making HUGE profits, especially in baseball, and fans get mad when players get paid too much and actively lobby for owners to NOT spend money. Obviously sports with salary caps are different, but the salary caps are kind of a result of the same thing. Getting fans riled up because certain markets habe advantages in free agent signings so we have a cap to help competition but in reality it only helps the owners' bottom lines.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

Translation: give me Harper and Machado

 

[XDevilBoiX]

Translation: give me Harper and Machado

I think most Phillies fans want that too

 

[Jray42]

Give me Harper, meh on Machado

 

[The Madrigal]

For me Harper was always plan A with Machado plan B. Both are great players but the attitude and hustle Harper brings to the table set him apart in my opinion.

 

[Hurricane28]

Pat Egan made a good point, if they’re not getting these ridiculous contracts, sign them both.

 

[Hiesenberg]

I saw someone comment somewhere or say on TV something like "getting fans to care about how much players are paid is the greatest ruse played on the public in modern history." I don't know if I agree about the "in modern history" part but it is a pretty big scam. These billionaires are making HUGE profits, especially in baseball, and fans get mad when players get paid too much and actively lobby for owners to NOT spend money. Obviously sports with salary caps are different, but the salary caps are kind of a result of the same thing. Getting fans riled up because certain markets habe advantages in free agent signings so we have a cap to help competition but in reality it only helps the owners' bottom lines.

NFL Owners have this down to a science. You got people out there pissed at Le'Veon Bell because he's trying to make as much money before he's in a wheel chair, but they are worried about their team first and foremost because the owners/gm cry about them being selfish.

When the fans don't realize that the owner makes about 100X more than Bell, doesn't have to worry about CTE, also the GM is most likely making more also.

But they put the bullseye on the player like he's the evil one.

 

[Jtown]

Phillies hire Manny Machado’s mentor as infield coach as free agency momentum begins to build

 

[Branko]

someone has already had fun with Harpers Wikipedia page:

 

[Willis88]

Can yall help me out? I don’t follow the MLB too closely and my twitter feed is filled with manny and Harper rumors. Could someone try and relate what comparable players in the nhl those two would be in terms of eliteness level so I can get unnecessarily hyped. Thanks fellas