What would you like to see in the new CBA

[Stradling]

Reading the “Will the Angels Extend Anyone” thread got me to thinking.  What would I want to see in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.  I will readily admit I am not the guy that knows everything about what is in the current CBA, but figured this might give some smart people, and myself a thread to discuss such things.  So here is my first attempt at what I would like to see.  

Universal DH

Expanded Playoffs

Teams that receive revenue sharing must have a minimum payroll that is some percentage (200-300%) of the revenue they receive.  

Free Agency Granted after the Age 26 season.  This should solve the service clock issue.

Automatic raises following the first season until Arbitration year.

Arbitration starts in age 24 season.

When a player enters his first year without a minor league option the team can basically buy an additional option by doubling his mlb salary.  

The actual annual salary in a given year is the impact it has on the luxury tax

A veteran player Salary Exemption from the tax threshold. (So you can pick one player, over the age of 33, who’s contract that given year, does not impact the tax threshold).  Or you can amnesty one contract, but you can not amnesty another contract until the previous contract has expired.  So if the Angels wanted to amnesty Upton, they couldn’t amnesty another contract for two years.  Player is released, paid in full, but no luxury tax hit. You could also have clauses like, if the team releasing is over the threshold the previous year, they can’t amnesty a player, or something to that affect.  

I also wouldn’t be opposed to the Larry Bird rule being instituted, where you can go over the tax if it means you are keeping your own free agent. 

If a player tests positive for PEDs they immediately take another test.  If that test is positive, then the team can void the contract anytime during their suspension.  

End the blackout restrictions 

Shorten the length of free agency.  

Trade Deadline expanded to September 1st and only have one trade deadline.

 

Those are some of my thoughts, let me know what you think and what your ideas are. 

[Justin]

I'm down with most of your ideas. I've long been in favor of teams having a salary minimum. But I hate the expanded playoffs. Houston was one win away from playing in the World Series with a losing record. (But from what I have gathered on AW and amongst my friends, this does not bother most people as much as it does me.) 

[wopphil]

Lots of great ideas Strad, but no way on the automatic free agency after age 26. Maybe 28, but nothing before that. 

They should increase the league minimum salary, but since the union prioritizes free agency dollars above everything else they won’t have much motivation to do this. 

I also think they should go right into arbitration after one full season played. No reason why they can’t do five years of arb rather than three. And the first year arb salary doesn’t have to be huge dollars - but the difference between a salary of $550,000 and a salary of $750,000 is huge for a guy who may only play a few seasons and needs to maximize his earnings. Let the arb process start almost immediately so the younger players can get more of what they should be entitled to receive. 

And definitely expand the playoffs.
 

[failos]

Nothing

[failos]

Actually yeah get rid of the blackout nonsense. But that’ll never happen.

[tdawg87]

Alex Curry has to do every interview in a schoolgirl outfit.

[disarcina]

as have been discussed in a prior thread here - the Bauer Dodgers contract allowing clubs to provide mythical third year option to get the annual average contract total cost lower to avoid the luxury tax thresh-hold should be addressed.

allowing a false third year option at a ridiculously low price that serves only to lessen the average annual contract price for the two years - should not permitted.  Furthermore, the Commissioner's right to re-allocate the contract cost by year  on a more realistic assessment of the annual average cost to the team should be acknowledged.

 

[Pancake Bear]

Yes to universal DH.

No to expanded playoffs.

Not sure on the solution to the revenue sharing/competition issues, but something needs to be worked out to try to fix it. 

Also not sure on the solution to salaries pre-free agency, but agree a fix is needed. 

I'd have to think about the others a bit.

[Erstad Grit]

18 minutes ago, disarcina said:

as have been discussed in a prior thread here - the Bauer Dodgers contract allowing clubs to provide mythical third year option to get the annual average contract total cost lower to avoid the luxury tax thresh-hold should be addressed.

allowing a false third year option at a ridiculously low price that serves only to lessen the average annual contract price for the two years - should not permitted.  Furthermore, the Commissioner's right to re-allocate the contract cost by year  on a more realistic assessment of the annual average cost to the team should be acknowledged.

 

It appears Houston just did that with Odorizzi as well

[mmc]

Universal DH

A required salary floor that all teams must spend to (don't ask me what it would be)

Removing the luxury tax, teams are freely allowed to spend as much as they wish (I'm likely alone in this)

Trade deadline moved to August 15th

 

[Second Base]

- Trading of draft picks.

- More stringent penalties for exceeding luxury tax limit. Ones that will specifically prevent what the Dodgers and Yankees have done.

- Severe penalties for players and teams caught cheating. 

- Salary floor and ceiling with attached penalties. 

- Install a lottery system for the draft to prevent teams from tanking

- Deaden the ball to pre-2016 levels. 

- Automatic free agency at age 28 or after 5 years of service, whatever comes first. 

- Expand rosters to 27 players.

- Institute an international draft. International players may not be drafted until age 18. 

- Remove all blackout restrictions. 

[BTH]

- If a team goes over the luxury tax, they start getting taxed and can even get their draft picks moved. So I think they should put a taxation for teams if they don't meet a certain salary floor. Basically, an inverse luxury tax.

- Universal DH.

- Expanded playoffs either to 12 or 14.

- Realigned divisions/leagues based on geography. It makes no sense for the Angels to play the Yankees, Red Sox, Jays, Rays, and Orioles more than teams like the Padres, D-Backs, Giants, and Rockies.

[aznhockeyguy]

If the players don't touch the minimum salary, they should fight for the number of years to hit free agency.  A definite long shot to get in the next round, but waiting 6+seasons for free agency seems pretty long.

[disarcina]

38 minutes ago, Erstad Grit said:

It appears Houston just did that with Odorizzi as well

geez - once the Dodgers did it -- the rest of the front offices took note.

If the Commissioner does not stop this -- teams will just flout the luxury tax rules and make a mockery of the salary limits for luxury tax purposes.

[Taylor]

I like Stradling's list. Maybe the fans should go on strike before the players.

 

[Second Base]

1 hour ago, Trendon said:

- If a team goes over the luxury tax, they start getting taxed and can even get their draft picks moved. So I think they should put a taxation for teams if they don't meet a certain salary floor. Basically, an inverse luxury tax.

- Universal DH.

- Expanded playoffs either to 12 or 14.

- Realigned divisions/leagues based on geography. It makes no sense for the Angels to play the Yankees, Red Sox, Jays, Rays, and Orioles more than teams like the Padres, D-Backs, Giants, and Rockies.

Yes so much on the final point. Get rid of AL/NL and go with Eastern and Western. Put the Angels in a division with the Padres, Dodgers, A's, and Giants. Wait..... Never mind. 

But yes on geographical realignment.

Also two more. 

1. Move the Rays. Tampa Bay doesn't deserve or support that team and it's a shame. Move them to Montreal. 

2. Get Oakland a new stadium. The bay area is diseased community when it comes to politics and funding projects that actually matter. The A's have a pretty solid fan base throughout the Northern part of the state and deserve a new stadium. 

After they get those two simple things done, then they can talk about expansion. Angel Stadium needs a complete reno as well 

[arch stanton]

- 5 year free agency

- universal DH but no player can DH 4 consecutive appearances. Must have a start in the field in between

- all teams not in the playoffs enter draft lottery for the first 3 picks

[HaloSpurs]

Angels baseball moved to London

Sorry guys 

[Jeremiah]

Universal DH

No luxury tax/salary cap. It isn't necessary. Making sure the team owners know how to run a baseball org is what matters.

The draft does need to balanced better. Either institute an international draft or (my preference) get rid of the draft altogether. Pro sports is fairly unique in that employees cannot choose the employer they'd prefer to spend the beginning of their careers with. If the draft is retained then the next thing I'd like to see is below.

Trading of draft picks

Start the service-time clock as soon as a player is assigned to a minor league team. This will get rid of the manipulating of that and force teams to keep improving their player development department.

End the blackout nonsense.

No playoff expansion. I like that MLB isn't like the other leagues in this regard.

I like Strad's PED idea. Team's should be able to void the contract if the player is suspended for an illegal PED once the positive is confirmed by another.

 

[ten ocho recon scout]

6 hours ago, HaloSpurs said:

Angels baseball moved to London

Sorry guys 

So that Albert and the Queen could talk about 7th grade together?

[DMVol]

13 hours ago, Second Base said:

....Trading of draft picks.....

Not sure of the rationale why MLB doesn't allow this but other pro leagues do...seems like the argument was that the "rich would get richer" if they could use draft picks in trades....I guess other pro sports don't have the depth of minor leagues that MLB does and trading prospects for established guys is somewhat the same thing as trading for draft picks but, if anything, small market teams with good scouting and development, like TB, might use draft picks to level the playing field even more...

[Jason]

16 hours ago, Justin said:

I'm down with most of your ideas. I've long been in favor of teams having a salary minimum. But I hate the expanded playoffs. Houston was one win away from playing in the World Series with a losing record. (But from what I have gathered on AW and amongst my friends, this does not bother most people as much as it does me.) 

I'm with you on the playoffs. Baseball still makes it tough for teams to make it in. The final week of the regular season is pretty exciting as a result. Not only that, you truly have the best teams in the post season as it is now. I do not see the positives in expanding it.  

[happybat4]

I agree with the salary floor. I also think players should be free agents 5 years after signing. There should be no service time manipulation.

[Tank]

universal DH is my main one.

and after paying full prices for two spring training games next week, i'd better get two full games and none of this 6 inning nonsense; if not, i should be entitled to a partial refund.

 

Edited March 8, 2021 by Tank

[Pancake Bear]

17 hours ago, Justin said:

I'm down with most of your ideas. I've long been in favor of teams having a salary minimum. But I hate the expanded playoffs. Houston was one win away from playing in the World Series with a losing record. (But from what I have gathered on AW and amongst my friends, this does not bother most people as much as it does me.) 

I'm in absolute agreement. I don't know if people look at other sports and think, "Why is mlb's playoffs so small?" but there are significant reasons why it ought to be small. Due to how random a given playoff series is, if you expand playoffs, you're increasing the chance significantly that crappy teams will win the WS more often. The current format screens out all the legitimately bad teams. 

While it isn't perfect, the 3 division winners plus 2 Wild Cards in a one game play-in is probably the best system you're going to find.