This could be the nuclear holocaust we’ve feared since the 90s strike.
I get both sides, but MLB is the only non-cap major sport in the US, I think. Players also get every penny on their contracts. Something has to give there.
2025 Phillies Thread
- Thread starter Tom McAndrew
- Start date
I get both sides, but MLB is the only non-cap major sport in the US, I think. Players also get every penny on their contracts. Something has to give there.
Yes. It’s long overdue. The gap between the haves and the have nots in the MLB is massive. Harper and the haves can get upset all they want, but they will still get their money. The other issue should be a minimum salary cap and if guys like Bob Nutting don’t meet the minimum, they risk losing their team to someone who wants to field a competitive team.
I agree with this. There are too many MLB owners who don’t seem interested in fielding competitive teams. Certain fan bases are held hostage until those owners sell or pass away. PGH and COL come to mind immediately, but there are others. So any CBA needs to address the lack of investment by those franchises.
MLB is seeing a resurgence in interest, but they could lose a ton of ground if they mess up this negotiation. It took them decades to recover from the mid-1990s strike.
I don't disagree.
It is funny to me that people are more likely to leave their spouse than their fandom.
MLB needs to modernize its TV revenue sharing model. The “haves” are all big market teams with great local TV contracts.
I read the Phillies top MLB in average game viewership on TV. That adds up fast compared to Pittsburgh or Denver numbers.
The NFL has it right. Put all the rights into one revenue pool and then pay out equally from that. Allow owners to cut their own stadium and local ad deals.
Do that and having a salary floor and cap starts to make more sense. MLB’s labor agreement has been wholly one-sided for the players for decades. That can’t continue, IMO. The players need to pick their battles here. They can’t keep everything.
I like Bryce, but if he is so steadfast against a salary cap that he gets that heated with the commissioner, then he doesn’t have the best interest of all of MLB in mind. Long term, the current model probably sees some teams move and/or possibly cease to exist. The gap between the top teams and the bottom teams widens every year.
I agree. I will say that Pittsburgh is a baseball rich tradition city. If they put a legitimate team on the field every night, the viewership and attendance will be there. Look at the atmosphere of the playoff games back in 2013 at PNC. If they build it, they will come. People in western Pa have traditionally worked too hard to waste their money on crap. Bob Nutting continues to serve them crap.
I can find a prospect to bump up to #5 to get this deal done. Hell, I’d part with Michelas Abel at this point for a stud closer.
Bednar wouldn’t be a significant upgrade. Certainly not worth a top five unless there was more involved.
No? You don’t think he is better than Romano? Romano has a negative WAR with a 6.99 ERA. Bednar has a WAR of 1.2 with a 2.37 ERA. Now, Inguess you could compare Strahm to Bednar, and Strahm has pitched well, but he is somewhat unproven as a closer. Strahm WAR is 1.3 with a 2.98 ERA. Strahm has 6 saves vs Bednar’s 17. I think Bednar would help give them options deep in the game.
Last edited:
Certainly better than Romano. Strahm, Kerkering, Lazar, and Banks have been the top-of-the-bullpen guys, at least statistically. I was surprised to see Banks has more innings that all other true relievers. Bednar would certainly be a welcome addition but giving up a top five prospect one for one would be a steep price, IMO. If the Pirates would throw an above average OF into whatever the deal may be, I’d be on board.
Not top-5 worthy, but it's a sellers market, as very few relievers that are not rent-a-player for the rest of the season are available.
From an article in today's Philadelphia Inquirer:
"Even the Pirates are said to be putting a high price on veteran closer David Bednar. Never mind that they’re barreling toward their ninth losing season in 10 years and desperate for offense to keep ace Paul Skenes from eventually asking out.
Bednar, who turns 31 in October, is an intriguing option on the reliever market. A two-time All-Star, he got demoted to triple A in April. Since his return, he’s 15-for-15 in save opportunities with a 1.50 ERA. He hasn’t allowed an earned run since May 23.
One rival evaluator said Monday that Bednar’s curveball is “back to being what it was, and the command of it has been a big key.” Entering the week, his swing-and-miss rate was 30%, including 39.4% on the curveball. He struck out 50 of 139 batters (36%) since returning from the minors. The Phillies got a firsthand look in June when he struck out four of six batters over two games.
But Bednar, a Pittsburgh native who is immensely popular among Pirates fans, is also a model for the volatility of relievers. One day he’s in triple A; six weeks later, he’s getting Trea Turner to fish for a curve in the dirt.
Which version will a contender get down the stretch?"
It’s a seller’s market. The Pirates should certainly ask for it.
Mason Miller is more likely to command a prospect haul but Oakland may not trade him.
Some team is going to pay a ransom for a top closer.
Bryan Reynolds would be a good upgrade in LF for the Phillies, but that means giving up more top end prospects on the Phillies end. You gotta give up something to get something. At this point, the Phillies are either all in or they aren’t. They need to decide, are they putting all their chips in the middle to win it all this year or not? The window is closing fast on guys like Harper, Wheeler, and JT. Throw in all the pending free agents and this team will not look the same next year no matter what. If they trusted the bullpen guys you mentioned, they wouldn’t be shopping. I like Ross, Banks, Kerk, and Strahm, but none of them really have done much closing, especially in big situations.
Interesting stat on Jesus Luzardo. He has an ERA of 4.58 and a FIP of 3.00. For those unfamiliar, FIP is fielder independent pitching. It is an advanced stat that is essentially ERA with the impact of fielding removed. I'm not sure what the disparity is so wide, but it seems to indicate that Luzardo's troubles are not entirely on him (I wonder if the Realmuto miss factors in a little). Sports bettors will often look for these disparities when making bets, thinking that ERA will trend toward FIP over time. Hope that is the case here.
There’s risk on both ends of every trade. The top 5 prospect that Phillies fans are unwilling to give up, has never played an inning of major league ball and may never contribute much once they do.