When the Dodgers signed Kyle Tucker after getting Edwin Díaz, that reportedly pushed MLB owners over the edge and even has them talking about instilling a salary cap.
As Major League Baseball owners sat around and watched the Los Angeles Dodgers sign free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker to a four-year, $240 million contract, their collective temperatures rose dramatically.
That heat grew so hot that the owners are talking about instilling -- wait for it -- a salary cap.
While the Dodgers were getting popped like a piñata, the New York Mets were laying down some big bucks for Bo Bichette. The Mets gave Bichette a three-year, $126 million contract.
All of these events intersected at a crossroads where MLB owners just apparently have had enough.
Evan Drellich of The Athletic has been following the situation around Tucker's and Bichette's signings. Drellich offered some insights into what is going on among owners at this time.
Drellich picked up a tidbit from someone who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "These guys are going to go for a cap no matter what it takes," Drellich's source, who is reportedly connected with some MLB owners, said.
What might be a tipping point for owners is the incredible discrepancy between payrolls like the Dodgers (projected to be over $400 million this season) and the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays (projected to be under $100 million).
Negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement between owners and the MLB players' union are due to probably start later this season. There's a real threat of a lockout if no deal can be reached.
Craig Carton, who hosts a show on New York sports radio station WFAN, recently chatted it up with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred this month about this situation and a potential salary cap.
"I admire what the Dodger organization has done on both sides of the house," Manfred said. "They’ve done a phenomenal job on the revenue side, and they’ve made great baseball decisions. And, you know, getting those two together is harder than you think. And everything they’ve done (has been) completely within the rules."
Manfred also took time to throw a barb at MLB players union chief Tony Clark for supposedly ruling out a salary cap proposal. This reportedly was done even before negotiations on a new CBA started.
What happens between owners and the union remains to be seen. If owners carry this heat into negotiations, though, a salary cap might just be in the game's future.
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