Spending Big Money in Baseball May Be Overrated

I get that it’s only May, but I look for trends. I wanted to see how the top payroll teams are doing. The Dodgers are the top payroll team, and they are in first place in the West with just a half-game lead over the Diamondbacks who are 25th in payroll. The Mets and Yankees are next on the payroll list. The Mets are struggling in second place in the NL East but under .500 and the team in the Bronx is in last place in the AL East. The Phillies are fourth in payroll and are in fourth place in the NL East. 

The Pirates Are Prevailing 

The Pittsburgh Pirates are in first place in the NL Central and they are 28th in payroll. The Brewers are closely in second and they are ranked 19th in payroll. The Rays are the best team in baseball so far and they rank 23rd in payroll spent. 

When Big Dollar Injuries Occur, It’s Magnified 

The Mets have the two most expensive starters in the game combined. Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander are both making roughly $86 million dollars. Both are battling injuries, both are older pitchers and when that fails it’s hard for a team like the Mets to recover. Even they have a limit as to how much they will spend. The Yankees without Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton means there is $72 million on the bench, and they are struggling. The names that ended up replacing them are very forgettable.

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Teams Need Better Scouting and Development But The Mets Chase Names 

The New York Mets are going to solve their problems by chasing former talents like Gary Sanchez, according to Talkin’ Baseball. It’s a minor league deal but a major league mistake thinking he can DH because he isn’t a good catcher. Sure he used to hit a lot of home runs but they need starting pitching more than another player behind the plate who can’t hit. The Mets have enough of that.  

If Teams Spend Less Will They Win Less? 

That’s what I will start to track. This isn’t about Moneyball, what it’s about is spending just to spend and placing large contracts at the feet of players no longer in the prime of their careers. Sometimes owners spend to get ticket sales. However, if your team wins by playing “winning baseball” by doing the right things out there and you’re exciting to watch, fans will come back.