Baseball contracts are just getting ridiculous

[matty07]

Now there are talks about Mauer getting 30 million a year like c'mon. As for Pujols what is he gonna get like 40 million a year. It's just getting out of hand now, they need to somehow draw the line for a max contract. Not a cap (wish they would get one) but just the most a player can get cause like I said when is it ever going to stop

 

[muchuckwagon]

If a player is getting paid X, then the economics of the game allow it. The pay scale will change the day the fans stop buying tickets and watching the games on TV. If you don't pay the players then the money then it will just sit in the bank account of the owner. Plain and simple.

 

[Twinsfan84]

Read an economics 101 book. This will all be explained.

 

[ChasHawk]

Salaries can only go so high though, can't they?

At some point I would think that tickets, concessions, merch, etc. would become prohibitively expensive
with the result being that most of their target demographic is priced out.

 

[rico08]

Salaries can only go so high though, can't they?

At some point I would think that tickets, concessions, merch, etc. would become prohibitively expensive
with the result being that most of their target demographic is priced out.

There's way more money in baseball than what you can buy inside a ballpark (advertising, etc.).

 

[bradical]

I think these big contracts are great!

Signed,

Darren Dreifort
Barry Zito
Mike Hampton
Jason Schmidt
Carl Pavano

 

[ChasHawk]

Salaries can only go so high though, can't they?

At some point I would think that tickets, concessions, merch, etc. would become prohibitively expensive
with the result being that most of their target demographic is priced out.

There's way more money in baseball than what you can buy inside a ballpark (advertising, etc.).

Yeah, I fully agree. I guess my only basis for comparison, living in Chicago, are Cubs tickets.
Whether the team is good or bad (usually bad) ticket prices have gone up every year since I've lived here.
I fully realize that inflation, etc. has a lot to do with that, but the team's payroll has gone up just about every year as well.
It's gotten to the point now that your average middle class family practically has to save up to go to 1 game a year.
I love baseball much moreso than any other sport, but because of the huge jump in ticket prices, my games attended the last few years are as follows:

2003 - 44
2004 - 21
2005 - 6
2006-present - 0

 

[Sly]

Now there are talks about Mauer getting 30 million a year like c'mon. As for Pujols what is he gonna get like 40 million a year. It's just getting out of hand now, they need to somehow draw the line for a max contract. Not a cap (wish they would get one) but just the most a player can get cause like I said when is it ever going to stop

Mauer getting $30M by who? The Twins? No chance.

1. Twins will NEVER shell out that kind of money for a player.
2. Yankees wouldn't do it, because I know at one point there was a clause in A-Rod's contract that he was to be the highest paid player in the game...if Mauer makes more, A-Rod's deal would be more. At least this I believe was part of his LAST contact, not sure of the new one.
3. What other team would shell out $30M for a player right now?
4. What makes Mauer better than ARod, Pujols, or most of the other players already making $20M+

Mauer will end up being a high-teens paid player. $30M? Whatever...if you TRULY think Mauer will end up getting $30M...you're very naive in believing every stupid rumor that is out there...

 

[Brett Keith]

And people talked about Strasburg getting like $50 mil., same as Chapman, how'd that go? It all starts with a suggestion or conversation, then other people mention it, then it becomes a rumor, based on nothing. Mauer will likely get around $20 mil., Pujols will probably get a near A-Rod deal.

 

[pigskincardboard]

The people that suggested to this poor fellow that he should read an economics text book really haven't the slightest idea.

The economics behind baseball contracts literally make no sense, at all.

Baseball is essentially billionaires in pissing contests with a handful of idiots, and another handful of rational players that you'd expect, and often do, act rationally.

So no, economics 101 won't teach you this crap.

Think of that idiot that puts a 2000 dollar stereo system in a 500 dollar car, then you'll understand the economics of baseball.

 

[gt2590]

Getting ridiculous? That was 10+ years ago. But I'd still rather that the owners just sitting back and rolling it all in and not caring about the product on the field.

NO way Mauer gets near that, maybe 2/3 of it and that's gonna be tough.

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

Catchers may be the second most likely player to get hurt - following pitchers.

 

[mredsox89]

At most Mauer will get 18 or so from Minnesota, 21 or so at most from any of the big market teams. My gut says that the $ difference wont be large enough for Mauer to leave Minnesota.

 

[sheetskout]

I have to say I agree. Remember though, I believe salaries in European Football and Formula 1 are just as outrageous.

And remember the other thing....the biggest factor to this story that exists.


The owners are willing to pay them.

 

[predatorkj]

The people that suggested to this poor fellow that he should read an economics text book really haven't the slightest idea.

The economics behind baseball contracts literally make no sense, at all.

Baseball is essentially billionaires in pissing contests with a handful of idiots, and another handful of rational players that you'd expect, and often do, act rationally.

So no, economics 101 won't teach you this crap.

Think of that idiot that puts a 2000 dollar stereo system in a 500 dollar car, then you'll understand the economics of baseball.

IMO...there is no reason for them to be that high other than the fact that they can? Isn't that how economics works? You make what the market will allow? In any case...I guess somebody forgot to tell them they don't have to pay everyone maximum dollar figures. The only reason they do is because they figure if they don't...somebody else will. Hence the pissing contests and the idiots.

I was reading the newspaper the other day about Gilbert Arenas losing about $140,000+ a game and I could hardly believe it. The guy makes more in one 3 hour game than I will in about 14 years(given what I am making now). Now I know it costs money to run a franchise and have a stadium and keep the juices flowing as it were but seriously? Does anyone on earth really need to make that much money in that short of a period of time? I always found it was wierd that athletes make what they do for doing something any logical person would consider "trivial" at best. I find it even weirder that many people support them making this much and the only thing they can think of to support the argument is that "if you don't like it...don't go to the games and don't buy the merchandise".

That is like Starbucks creeping up in price to $150 a cup and then a bunch of rich people buying it and you thinking its dumb and then somebody saying that if you don't like it...don't buy it. Me liking the salary of a player has little to do with me liking to watch sports. Things being sky high just because they can doesn't mean it still makes any logical sense. And yet they say the economy will eventually get better. Never, IMO, with this line of thinking. As for the Economics 101 book...it should be thrown out like so much trash. That kind of thinking is why this country has the problems it does. What's that line in Jurassic park? "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they never stopped to think if they should.". Yeah...just replace scientists with any of the oil companies and sports teams, hell...just about any big rich corporation or business owner for that matter.

By business owner...I don't mean Joe's plumbing shop on the corner. I mean people who really are trying to rake in more than is even close to necessary.

 

[matty07]

You have been thanked my friend!

The people that suggested to this poor fellow that he should read an economics text book really haven't the slightest idea.

The economics behind baseball contracts literally make no sense, at all.

Baseball is essentially billionaires in pissing contests with a handful of idiots, and another handful of rational players that you'd expect, and often do, act rationally.

So no, economics 101 won't teach you this crap.

Think of that idiot that puts a 2000 dollar stereo system in a 500 dollar car, then you'll understand the economics of baseball.

IMO...there is no reason for them to be that high other than the fact that they can?Isn't that how economics works?You make what the market will allow?In any case...I guess somebody forgot to tell them they don't have to pay everyone maximum dollar figures.The only reason they do is because they figure if they don't...somebody else will.Hence the pissing contests and the idiots.

I was reading the newspaper the other day about Gilbert Arenas losing about $140,000+ a game and I could hardly believe it.The guy makes more in one 3 hour game than I will in about 14 years(given what I am making now).Now I know it costs money to run a franchise and have a stadium and keep the juices flowing as it were but seriously?Does anyone on earth really need to make that much money in that short of a period of time?I always found it was wierd that athletes make what they do for doing something any logical person would consider "trivial" at best.I find it even weirder that many people support them making this much and the only thing they can think of to support the argument is that "if you don't like it...don't go to the games and don't buy the merchandise".

That is like Starbucks creeping up in price to $150 a cup and then a bunch of rich people buying it and you thinking its dumb and then somebody saying that if you don't like it...don't buy it.Me liking the salary of a player has little to do with me liking to watch sports.Things being sky high just because they can doesn't mean it still makes any logical sense.And yet they say the economy will eventually get better.Never, IMO, with this line of thinking.As for the Economics 101 book...it should be thrown out like so much trash.That kind of thinking is why this country has the problems it does.What's that line in Jurassic park? "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they never stopped to think if they should.". Yeah...just replace scientists with any of the oil companies and sports teams, hell...just about any big rich corporation or business owner for that matter.

By business owner...I don't mean Joe's plumbing shop on the corner.I mean people who really are trying to rake in more than is even close to necessary.

 

[pigskincardboard]

Dear God, Man. Put a space between your sentences, please. I use two spaces, but that's just preference. Occasionally, I'll just keep hitting 'Enter' instead of bothering to hit the space-bar between sentences.

I read your response a few times and I just couldn't figure out why the hell I was having such a tough time absorbing what you'd said. Then, I realized that you refused to use a space between sentences. It literally blew my freakin' mind. I was somewhat shocked at how my opinion of what you said was based on such a simple thing.

 

[predatorkj]

Dear God, Man. Put a space between your sentences, please. I use two spaces, but that's just preference. Occasionally, I'll just keep hitting 'Enter' instead of bothering to hit the space-bar between sentences.

I read your response a few times and I just couldn't figure out why the hell I was having such a tough time absorbing what you'd said. Then, I realized that you refused to use a space between sentences. It literally blew my freakin' mind. I was somewhat shocked at how my opinion of what you said was based on such a simple thing.

I went back and put a space between each sentence. Sorry. I have a bad habit of doing that. I look for punctuation changes when I read so its never hard for me to depict when a sentence begins and ends. Apparently I am alone in this category...