I think we can forget free agency moving quickly...

[floplag]

 

[Pancake Bear]

Tony Clark is a dunce. 

[Angel Oracle]

Tony Don Quixote Clark

[winhalos]

Tony getting ready to speak to the media

 

[Dtwncbad]

What an idiot.  Does he really expect teams to not talk to each other about their needs?

Tony, get out a dictionary to keep these words straight, and I can help you.  Ready?

They can communicate.  Communication is not collusion.

There can be natural consensus.  Consensus is not collusion.

What they cannot do is collude.  Only collusion is collusion.

It’s not that complicated Tony.
 

 

Edited November 6, 2019 by Dtwncbad

[Chris]

I'm sure all teams have their phone line open 365 days a year for possible Trades!!

[Pancake Bear]

I seriously don’t know how Tony Clark still has a job. He is utterly incompetent. 

[UndertheHalo]

[tdawg87]

No Collusion!

[failos]

Totally clears the Commissioner. Thank you!

[Dick B Back]

54 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

No Collusion!

 

[nate]

I don't think anyone expected FA to move quickly.

[Out]

4 hours ago, Sean-Regan said:

I seriously don’t know how Tony Clark still has a job. He is utterly incompetent. 

Affirmative action?

[Second Base]

Honestly, there's no doubt in my mind that there's been collusion among organizations which has knocked free agent prices down. But it's not the sort of thing that can or will be proven. 

It's corrupt and the rich owners are only getting richer. I also hate the lower market teams like Miami receive additional funds in payroll from large market teams, but aren't pouring that money back into their team. It's going directly into an owner's pocket.

But there's no use in complaining about it. There's too much money involved now for owners not to be playing hard ball. 

[floplag]

9 hours ago, Second Base said:

Honestly, there's no doubt in my mind that there's been collusion among organizations which has knocked free agent prices down. But it's not the sort of thing that can or will be proven. 

It's corrupt and the rich owners are only getting richer. I also hate the lower market teams like Miami receive additional funds in payroll from large market teams, but aren't pouring that money back into their team. It's going directly into an owner's pocket.

But there's no use in complaining about it. There's too much money involved now for owners not to be playing hard ball. 

Heres the thing though, do i think there has been collusion, of course i do, just as i think the players talk, but personally my issue with owners is very different than worrying about trying to limit a guy from getting 30M and only pay him 25.  My issue with them isnt even with those owners who spend that kind of money, its with the tanker that collect money in masse and do nothing with it.
I wish we had a relegation system like soccer does, send down teams that make no effort to win and bring up an organization that actually cares, but we dont. 
Tanking, and other such plans that dont involve spending and putting a winning product on the field, are the blight of the game.
I think this is a much larger concern that collusion over salaries personally.

[Second Base]

2 hours ago, floplag said:

Heres the thing though, do i think there has been collusion, of course i do, just as i think the players talk, but personally my issue with owners is very different than worrying about trying to limit a guy from getting 30M and only pay him 25.  My issue with them isnt even with those owners who spend that kind of money, its with the tanker that collect money in masse and do nothing with it.
I wish we had a relegation system like soccer does, send down teams that make no effort to win and bring up an organization that actually cares, but we dont. 
Tanking, and other such plans that dont involve spending and putting a winning product on the field, are the blight of the game.
I think this is a much larger concern that collusion over salaries personally.

I agree completely. I think I'd like to see teams in dead last that are taking owe a fee, or not receive the first pick of the draft.

Something to penalize tanking.

[floplag]

1 hour ago, Second Base said:

I agree completely. I think I'd like to see teams in dead last that are taking owe a fee, or not receive the first pick of the draft.

Something to penalize tanking.

i like the forfeiting draft picks thing, that alone might do it.  To date as far as i know only the As have been penalized in any form for their actions as i think they were either threatened with or did lose some revenue sharing recently over it.  Much much more needs to be done.

[Second Base]

32 minutes ago, floplag said:

i like the forfeiting draft picks thing, that alone might do it.  To date as far as i know only the As have been penalized in any form for their actions as i think they were either threatened with or did lose some revenue sharing recently over it.  Much much more needs to be done.

It would make the Winter Meetings so much more entertaining. Right now, you can figure on the M's, Tigers, Orioles, Blue Jays, Rockies, Giants, Pirates, Mets and Marlins doing a whole lot of nothing this winter. 

That's 1/3 of the league just mailing it in. 

I wouldn't even be opposed to tanking if it were just two teams that were just building up to their competitive window. But 9 freakin teams? It's no wonder quality, proven, free agents are sitting there with no offers clear into February. 

Edited November 7, 2019 by Second Base

[vlad27]

We have a trade deadline - how about a free agent signing deadline ? If spring training starts and you’re not on a team you sit that season out - maybe that would move negotiations a bit 

[redoctober2002]

9 hours ago, vlad27 said:

We have a trade deadline - how about a free agent signing deadline ? If spring training starts and you’re not on a team you sit that season out - maybe that would move negotiations a bit 

I feel like then teams would just wait til near the deadline. Players would accept less money in fear of missing the season. 

[Second Base]

On 11/8/2019 at 11:04 PM, vlad27 said:

We have a trade deadline - how about a free agent signing deadline ? If spring training starts and you’re not on a team you sit that season out - maybe that would move negotiations a bit 

The league proposed that, and the players Union shut it down, saying it wasn't in the best interest of the players. I'd love to see a January 1st deadline. 

[Pancake Bear]

16 minutes ago, Second Base said:

The league proposed that, and the players Union shut it down, saying it wasn't in the best interest of the players. I'd love to see a January 1st deadline. 

The owners would exploit it. 100%.

[Second Base]

11 minutes ago, Sean-Regan said:

The owners would exploit it. 100%.

You're probably right.

[Pancake Bear]

3 minutes ago, Second Base said:

You're probably right.

It would undoubtedly make the last two weeks of December interesting. Merry Christmas!

[Second Base]

16 minutes ago, Sean-Regan said:

It would undoubtedly make the last two weeks of December interesting. Merry Christmas!

I like it more because it would totally screw Scott Boras and stop players from sitting out until the following June because they want more money.