Other than the top few markets/venues in the world, nobody is caring about baseball in the United States. Rob Manfred is a joke of a commissioner that referred to his World Series trophy as a “hunk of metal”. So, if the boss of baseball doesn’t care, who should? Manfred has said that he wants to “grow the game”, but has done next to nothing to make that a reality. I think the time has come to overhaul the dynamic of baseball, and change every danged thing. My concept of promotion/relegation allows for competitive nuance, expanding markets, job creation; and allows non-major-league players to finally make a fair wage compared to current minor leaguers.
Let’s have some fun and create a hypothetical but possible giant baseball entity that doesn’t include the clown that is Rob Manfred. Every clown can be paid to go away, right? Right?
Oct 26, 2021; Houston, TX, USA; MLB commissioner Rob Manfred before game one of the 2021 World Series between the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Core Concept:
Owners in baseball that pony up the most money have the highest chance of winning, and some owners don’t spend money on their product, just let everything stand pat, and their equity in the team rise gradually over time. The top teams already don’t win every year; and, with my proposed idea of promotion/relegation, the playing field will be even more level/competitive. Fan bases will have more fun with their local teams competing for prominence in America’s past-time. If the Pensacola Blue-Wahoos played the Binghamton Rumble-Ponies in a game that decided promotion, those markets would grow, the games would be fun and intense, and more kids would pay attention to baseball.
The various soccer leagues around the world all are owner bought, and without salary caps; much like the MLB in the United States. If you are unaware, what that means is that the bottom teams in the top English, French, German, and Italian leagues, in soccer have the potential to get relegated into lower leagues of competition; the equivalent of MLB teams losing too much and falling into AAA.
Sorry Pirates and Orioles ownerships, you will have to actually invest in your product to survive. I understand the younger players are still getting drafted into MLB organizations/franchises, but let me explain how all of this will unfold.
Let’s Get Started:
Basically, a date needs to be set far into the future, like 2030 or so. On that date, the precedent needs to be set that youth players cannot be drafted in that year’s entry draft; and, also in that year, each MLB team will have to decide organizationally which 40 players are going to make their rosters from their prospective farm teams; as well as decide which players to keep from their current team.
Each team (regardless of league) can have a youth academy that consists of 30 prospects, and those kids can play in scheduled games against other youth academy teams as well. The max age of a youth academy player is 21, and the youngest age is 15. Depending on the age of the player, a parent or guardian has to be present to sign the contract with the big club. Youth academy contracts can range from 1-3 years, with the maximum of 3 years.
After that hard-set date, any unsigned/unclaimed player from their current farm teams, stay on those teams; so if Yasiel Puig gets a minor league deal the previous year from the Miami Marlins, and the Marlins decide not to keep him, Yasiel Puig may start the next season with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp; if the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp want to keep him. On that hard-set date each AAA, AA, and A team will be auctioned off and sold to the highest bidders: which allows for growth in markets that have the potential to pop, and true competition across the USA in regards to baseball.
I realize that there are 3 A leagues, so those 3 leagues may have to be split up into 2 bigger leagues, with the higher league being the top 50% of the teams that received the most money via team auction. If you were a rookie ball player trying to advance within a franchise, you will become a free agent.
Instead of the entry draft every year, there will be signing windows every offseason, as well as transfer windows that will take place instead of having a trade deadline. So, if you want the hottest young prospect, you may have to pony up the fattest contract, as long as you have the roster space. Players will be sold and bought during the transfer windows, and player trades/swaps can happen as well.
Each league will do away with divisions entirely, and the top 16 teams will make the post-season (for the MLB; lower leagues follow a different format), while the bottom 3 teams get relegated to the league below them and the top 3 get promoted into the league above them. Obviously the MLB is the top American league. Instead of a hard-set 162 game schedule, each league will play each team in their leagues 5 times. The 5 games will all be played at once, and will take place in 1 week; and then the schedule will be flipped the following year. This will limit travel expenses, and is just more logistically optimal for players, coaches, managers, and their families. So, if the Cincinnati Reds played 5 games in Miami in 2030, then in 2031 the Marlins would spend a 5 game road trip in Cincinnati. Depending on how many rain-outs there are, there will be a 2 week or so gap between the regular season and post-season for potential make-up games.
How promotion, prize money/tournaments, and the CBA works:
Like I said, the top 3 teams in each league get promoted, which comes with a lump-sum of money (that each team profits) decided by the CBA which does not involve the players anymore. The CBA consists of the owners of each team agreeing to overall league terms with the league’s ownership group. There could be issues had here, but they have time to agree to terms, hence my hard-set date to figure out the intricacies of everything. Every team in each league makes a percentage of money based on the League’s revenue/profitability (number determined in the CBA) with the top teams making a higher percentage (as well as potentially being promoted). Overall, The players’ wages, signing bonuses, rights, trade-clauses, and everything else necessary is in the player’s contract that they sign with the team, which is why they should read everything, as well as have an agent that goes over everything.
% of revenue per season by league standings in the regular season (negotiated by owners in CBA):
1. 12%
2. 10%
3. 7%
4-5 5.5%
6-7 4%
8-16 3%
17-27. 2%
28-30. 1%
What this allows is for more parody based on results. Keep in mind, these percentages, even the smaller ones can be worth tens of millions of dollars in the MLB which is a difference making amount for the smaller markets. So, if a mid-budget or low-budget team has the best record (or close to it), they could have a substantial boost in spending that they can use on players, facilities, scouts, and really anything they deem gives them a competitive advantage.
Lower League Playoff Format:
The playoffs are normal after the seeding in the MLB, but are more different and intense in the lower leagues. The top 3 teams will get promoted in the lower leagues, but how we get there is a little different. The top 2 teams will get an automatic bid for promotion into the next league, with teams 3-6 in the standings playing in a promotion tournament. These tournaments will be 3 game series, with the 3 seed having home field advantage over the 6 seed, and the 4 seed having home field over the 5 seed. If you win the tournament (IE 2 series), you get promoted.
The end of each league that is lower than the MLB has their regular seasons end at roughly the same time. What this allows is for the top 6 teams in each league to compete in an end of season tournament, to play for additional money and a trophy. The giant playoff of 24 teams is in a central location, and is single elimination (do or die). The 24 teams would consist of the top 6 AAA, AA, High-A, and Low-A teams. So, let’s say a 4 seed wins 3rd place in the league (the promotion tournament); they then would also be heading to the big tournament to compete for the 2nd most coveted trophy in baseball. This makes for very intense and passionate baseball in unexpected markets. Do or die baseball games with the winner bringing home the 2nd most coveted trophy in baseball behind the world series, is quite intense and is an achievement to win.
Let’s Make a TV Deal:
Jul 31, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a triple in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
I understand that some of our favorite rivalries may get watered down in MLB, but it’s a sacrifice worth making to make baseball more competitive, lucrative, and interesting.
