The State of League Baseball is the Worst it has Been Since 1994 [OPINION]

Major League Baseball’s award winners have been named, free agency has begun, the owner meetings have started, and teams are making their best attempts to recruit fans to go out to Major League stadiums in 2020. However, Major League Baseball has found itself in the worst situation it has been in since the player strike of 1994.

As of right now the big question surrounding the upcoming season is: should fans be worried of another strike?

Fans have every reason to be worried of a coming strike, but it will not be next season.

During the owners’ meetings team owners have said they have no interest in making monetary concessions to keep peace with the player’s union, a proposal has been laid out that would cut 42 Minor League Baseball teams, Minor League players continue to be paid well below minimum wage during the season, the Houston Astros are mired in an electronic sign stealing cheating scandal, and allegations of owners colluding against free agents.

All of that paints a pretty bleak picture of the state of MLB, and there is a real possibility that there might be a strike on the horizon, but not until the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expires in 2021.

There have been historically slow free agencies each of the last three seasons, with this free agency showing more of the same. So if owners are actively trying to convince players, their union, and fans that there is no collusion against free agent, then owners are doing a truly horrible job of doing so.

Next prices to attend games, indulge in stadium concession especially purchase alcohol, and purchase merchandise are all rising quickly. Teams are effectively and harshly limiting average fans’ ability to attending and enjoy games at Major League parks.

Fans are not happy, players are not happy, and nothing indicates that officials are all that perturbed. Yet officials keep telling fans they are working to improve the game, but the obvious question is: for whom?

Lets take a look at each controversy and talk about their potential impact on that state of baseball moving forward, which again is bad.

First owners do not want to make monetary concessions to keep labor happy.

This stance is at odds with a couple of things. Players continue to enjoy record setting contracts with three major free agents in Stephen Strasburg, Garrit Cole, and Anthony Rendon each speculated to receive salaries around or north of $30 million.

However, openly stating an open opposition to paying players more and increasing team salaries while raising costs of attendance put fans in a tougher situation than players. It is my belief that the player’s union will use this argument when it comes time to renegotiate the CBA in 2021.

Next, and probably most egregious, is the proposed cutting of 42 Minor League teams while still paying players so little that many have second jobs. Famously when Milwaukee Brewers’ prospect Tyrone Taylor was called up for September he had just applied to work for FedEx during the offseason.

This is an issue many fans of MLB are oblivious to. MLB has a system setup where players are drafted, start their careers on Minor League teams affiliated with the organization that drafted them, develop their skills and hopefully see a big league field in three to five years after being drafted. During their development players are professional players being paid to play, but the average Minor League salary is well below $10,000 per season.

The proposal to cut 42 teams includes a proposal to cut the draft from 40 rounds down to 20. For reference to any Brewers fans reading this article that means that current Brewers Zach Davies, a selection from round 21, and Brent Suter, a 31st round selection, would not have been drafted.

Even if Suter and Davies were non-drafted free agent singings there would be no low level team for them to play on. Not to mention the proposal says nothing for improving player salaries.

This proposal has drawn ire from players at all levels of professional baseball and even warranted a letter from Congress to the Commissioner of baseball, Robert Manfred.

Will this proposal go through? I really have no idea, but if it does I know there will be swift and immediate backlash from players at all levels of baseball.

Next item to talk about is the Astros scandal. Players have come forward from the 2017 World Series Champion Houston Astros saying that the team, with the use of a camera, would steal signals from the catcher  opposing in order to tell other Astros players what pitch was coming before the pitcher threw the ball.  

A video has been posted by Jomboy Media on YouTube showcasing the offense detailed in an article by The Athletic. Commissioner Manfred said at the owners’ meeting that Major League Baseball is investigating the alleged offenses from 2017, but the 2018 and 2019 seasons as well.

The competitive integrity of the game has now been compromised, players are unhappy, fans are being blockaded by prices, the union is unhappy, and the American League champions from 2017 and 2019 are under investigation for egregious displays of cheating.

All of this paints a painfully bleak state of baseball, and I am intentionally picking examples to make the sport look bad. I love baseball, it is my favorite sport, I played it in high school, and I have seen dozens of Brewers games in my 20 years of following the sport.

I want what is best for the sport that I love, and right now Commissioner Manfred has his hands full. When he was chosen to be the next commissioner his reputation for keeping peace with the players and players’ union was highly touted. He must now show why he was selected, and he cannot take any of these issues lightly.