Ride Home Rants
Ride Home Rants
The Salary Floor Solution: Baseball's Path Forward
Baseball's economic divide has never been more pronounced, yet the beauty of America's pastime remains in its unpredictability. Despite the Los Angeles Dodgers emerging as clear World Series favorites after their offseason spending spree, there's something magical about baseball that money simply can't buy – and that's exactly what makes this upcoming MLB season so compelling.
The Baltimore Orioles stand as this year's most intriguing challenger, with their young core poised to build on last season's breakout success. Meanwhile, Cleveland's Guardians continue defying expectations with their formula of "pitching and good vibes," proving that team chemistry and development can sometimes outperform raw payroll power. These underdog stories represent what many consider baseball's beating heart – the blue-collar determination that resonates with fans across America's smaller markets.
Nothing exemplifies baseball's economic tensions better than the Oakland Athletics' controversial move to Las Vegas. The relocation saga highlights the growing divide between ownership interests and committed fanbases, with one commentator powerfully noting: "Moving the team was a Band-Aid on a bullet hole." This sentiment extends beyond Oakland to broader concerns about baseball's future landscape – will small market teams eventually disappear entirely? The most promising solution might not be imposing a salary cap but rather establishing a salary floor, forcing ownership groups to invest minimally in competitive rosters while preserving players' earning potential. As Pittsburgh's electric playoff atmosphere once demonstrated, passionate fans in smaller markets create something invaluable for the sport that billion-dollar payrolls can never manufacture: authentic connection and c
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Welcome everybody to another episode of the Ride Home Rants podcast. This is, as always, your host, mike Bono. I have a great episode for us today. We're going to be talking about all things the MLB and baseball, with the start of the season quickly around the corner here in spring training in full swing right now. I have a panel of guests here. I'm going to let them introduce themselves for you Now. Guys, I do need your name and the answer to these two questions. And is it? Do you like tomatoes, and what time do you get up normally during the weekend? Tony, we're going to start with you sports leader for Keon Sports.
Speaker 2:I do like tomatoes In the morning. I get up whenever my alarm wakes me up, which is 7.30. On Fridays and Mondays, 8.15.
Speaker 1:Okay, we'll mix it up throughout the week. Not bad, drew. What about you?
Speaker 3:What's up? Guys uh drew here. Um, do I like tomatoes by themselves? No, but I do like ketchup. I like and I like sauce. So I don't know if that makes me like tomatoes or not, but if you just give me a tomato, I'm probably not gonna eat it. And what time do I get up? During the week I I got to be at school by 8, but I get there a little bit early, so I'm up about 6.30.
Speaker 1:Okay, Decent time All right. Last but not least, TJ. What about you, hey?
Speaker 4:guys TJ Lett, third grade teacher, but my one-year-old. The only time I get to work out is in the morning, so sometimes it's a 5 am workout, sometimes it's a 6 am workout, but I'm almost exclusively out of bed at 4.30 am, so that's 7.30. Hurts the soul. But tomatoes aren't the enemy, you know. They're okay on sandwiches. I won't take them off. They're good when you mix them with other things. I'm not gonna just go and just bite into a tomato like an apple, but I don't mind them yeah I think I'm.
Speaker 1:I'm with y'all on that one. I'm not gonna. I'm not biting into one, but I'm italian, I love sauce, so that's in there. I can't and I put them on burgers and whatnot. So, yeah, they're all right. I can't. Can't complain about them too much. Being a paisan, if I complain about tomatoes they might kick me out the club for the sauce and everything.
Speaker 3:Watch your back now, yeah.
Speaker 1:I know they're coming for me. I got to start saying a couple Hail Marys and we'll be all right here. We'll get through it. But all right, we're going to talk all things MLB and we're just going to jump right into it. Tony, who's your favorite to win the World Series this year?
Speaker 2:I got to say I know everybody's going to say because of the moves they've made. Everyone's going to say the Dodgers. And I'm tempted to agree. But as we've seen with baseball the past few years, yeah, even though the Dodgers didn't win at all last year, money can't always buy you a world series. So I know that it's probably going to be sacrilege saying this as a guardians fan, I'm gonna go with the seattle mariners to not only make their first world series but win it. Go with the mariners it's a bold statement.
Speaker 1:Cotton, let's see how it pays out for him there. That that's a. That's a bold stance, but drew, what about you?
Speaker 3:yeah, like tony said, in baseball, you know, these top heavy teams have so much money, it's hard to compete. You see what the Mets did this offseason. The Yankees are always rolling, the Dodgers are at the top. I'm a Guardians fan as well and I think I don't think I know they're knocking on the doorstep. They play really well together, do I think they'll win it? Probably not, so I'll go with my second favorite team, the New York Mets.
Speaker 1:Mets huh.
Speaker 3:Meet the Mets.
Speaker 4:TJ, can you save us here, our resident baseball expert here on the the Dodgers will be in the World Series, but if it's good for baseball, they won't run multiples in a row but they'll win five of the next ten. I'm a really big fan of Baltimore. I think that they had a shot last year and those three-game series are so mentally draining those three-game series, because they're over before you know it and you know they got knocked out in that third game. So I think that uh, baltimore will break their way through. They got a lot of young guys there. I know they lost um corbin burns, but they're bringing, they'll have enough behind it to make it through this year. So I think Baltimore will surprise people with just the depth and making it through the playoffs, even though they don't have, or they've had, a couple of years of experience with those guys. So those young guys are going to step up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I lean Dodgers, mainly just because of the moves they've made. I don't think they'll go back to back. They're definitely going to be in it. But yeah, I'd have to give Baltimore the edge in that one too as well. Everything in me wants the Pirates to just be relevant for once. As a Pirates fan. Paul Skeens can't do it by himself. The man throws junk in heat and just is phenomenal. So he'll probably be a dodger in a couple years here, knowing how the pirates work, um. But I just, like you know, make the playoffs. That's kind of where I'm at right now. Let's let's get a wild card or something and just be relevant again. But yeah, I'd have to either say it's either gonna, it's probably gonna be la in baltimore uh, this year would be my pick and get baltimore the edge and tony, let's stay with you. But what is the ceiling for the guardians this year?
Speaker 2:honestly, just like it was last year, pitching in good vibes pitching in good vibes all right, they surprised me last year. I remember saying at this point last season they'd probably be lucky to win 74, 75 games. They surprised me in 190. So you know, as long as the pitching can hold up like they did last year. And it helped that the offense actually produced as well, because in order to go far like they did, you need a good offense as well as pitch yeah, I could see that drew.
Speaker 3:What about you? Like what was the question? Again, you kind of broke up on my end when you're answering your ask.
Speaker 1:Oh, no, worries. Uh, what's the ceiling for the guardians this year?
Speaker 3:uh, well, the ceiling is, if you're going based off last year, is ALCS pushing the doorstep for the world series? Um, you know you, you look look at the team that they have there. There was there's not a lot of magic in Cleveland. There's a. There's a hell hole at by the lake with the Browns, but I don't know what it is. You go a mile down the road and it's like there's some magic in Cleveland. They really do a good job of winning games when they really shouldn't be winning games.
Speaker 3:If you recall that last year ALCS, when they beat the Yankees I know the only beat them one time, but at one time they did beat them Holy crap, it was like you never would even imagine. They did it not once, but twice. You know those home runs like that. So there's something. There's something there that they're a special. Now I know that that kind of runs out and money talks and talent talks, so that's something. They don't have to compete with the Yankees and daughters and Mets. But if you're a, if you're a guardians player, if you're on the guardian staff, you're looking at each other saying why can't we do what we did last year?
Speaker 1:yet again, yeah, I don't think they lost much.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they really did. They lost that second baseman, but they got some guys back.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think they filled in the right spots. I think they can get over that CLS hump. Possibly You'd hope, you really hope, you'd really hope. But TJ, what about you?
Speaker 4:Yeah, the ceiling is to me the same as it was, as where they made it last year. I don't think they have World Series aspirations in them this year because I think now they have a target on their back. I think a lot of teams took them lightly last year, especially going into the playoffs, especially all of the AL Central. They took the AL Central very lightly and we snuck up and took some teams down. I just think the Tigers are going to be really competitive this year. I think Kansas City's going to be really competitive this year. I think Boston's going to be really competitive this year in a way where we may not. You know, if we make it to the playoffs we'll be a wild wildcard team and if we get into the playoffs we're going to run into a buzzsaw. We might be matched up with Baltimore, we might be matched up with Boston, where we're going to have a little bit more trouble. But the key here for the guardians this year is that we're going to be healthy, make it to the deadline If we cause.
Speaker 4:We did that last year. We were relevant in June. Once we were relevant in June, people started to believe the team started to believe they're like you know what. Let's make sure it's not a fluke get to June and then they start. Then you get to the deadline and all of a sudden you're still first place. Team is like, okay, we can see, we can see the playoffs in sight. So if they can get to the deadline, I think, or if they can get to June and be as relevant as they were last year or as dominant as they were last year, it might change some things. I just think that now they have a target on their back and more teams will take them seriously. So it'll be a little bit of a tougher road.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I think once you have that success, people do kind of take you a little bit more seriously. But I think at the end of the day, everyone just always has that mindset. They go it's Cleveland, you know, like it's Cleveland's pro sports, like it's just something about them makes other teams kind of slack off when they go up there and they don't take them as seriously as they should, especially the baseball team, the Browns. I mean I would like you to do a whole show about the Browns and their bad luck. It's by myself, so. But yeah, I mean, I don't know, part of me wants to see the guardians relevant, mainly because I love the movies, major league, um, with Charlie Sheen, and you know that that just makes me want to see them be relevant. Uh, with that. But it is what it is. It's Cleveland pro sports, uh, but TJ, uh, stay with you here. And which team do you think has the most approved this year, this year?
Speaker 4:I believe the Mets have the most to prove. You have the signing of Juan Soto. They somehow returned Pete Alonso by leaving him dangling out there. They are very lucky there. They I believe they returned Mania, correct, I believe. So, yeah, okay. So they returned some guys and they have some guys off of injury now. So they returned some guys and they have some guys off of injury now.
Speaker 4:They were a second half team last year and a lot of people wrote them out and they kind of got their swagger back in that second half. So now it's like OK, it's our. We are not a small market. People have high expectations for us. We kind of know the skill level that we're at. It's basically just them saying, okay, we have to find some way to get to facing the Dodgers and the CS Again, to go and let's have that rematch. But if you go and sign and you spend $700 million on one player and you didn't really lose a whole lot after that, you have to now, you know, put your money where your mouth is really and go and and make it happen. So I think the Mets have the biggest, you know, the most to lose here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Soto was definitely huge for the Mets, but let's ask our resident Mets fan here and drew. But who do you think?
Speaker 3:which team has the most proof of this year? Is it your Mets or Well? I think everything TJ said is absolutely correct. I think the Mets have all the pressures on. If I had to pick a team that has a little bit more pressure, one percent more, it's the team down the road, the new york yankees. Man they have. They've spent so much money, they've spent, they've done so many moves and what? What is there to show for it? Uh, when's the last thing they want? They want a world series, really. Is it, derrick cheater? I mean, we're talking what? 2009?
Speaker 1:2009, yeah or 09 09 10.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think it's every year you see this team in the headlines, you see this, the team, the bead they have, judge. They have the Bronx bombers, all this stuff and they they haven't got it done. And that is for a team like the Mets, you know they do have. They have a lot to prove, but they're kind of starting now. The Yankees have. It's been a long year, long time for this thing to really figure it out and they haven't done it. And I think if you are a yankees fan, you're starting a little fed up. When is it going to be our turn type deal, you know? And it hasn't been there and I don't think it's going to be there moving forward.
Speaker 1:There's so many good teams there really are I think a lot of the league, especially in the AL, have decided like hey, why don't we do what the Yankees have been doing for years and open our pocketbooks and spend some money and get some top talent. Everyone, except for the Pirates, apparently have decided that we need to break out the checkbook and sign some players.
Speaker 3:Look at the AL East itself. You have Baltimore, who's really good. You have Toronto, who's not the best, but they have some players out there. Boston's always going to be Boston. You've got teams that are going to compete with you in that AL East that are not chumps anymore.
Speaker 1:They're not pushovers. No, it's not just New York and Boston running that division, it's not. People are ready and I think the Yankees have just relied on that. Let's just spend some money and we'll be in the World Series, and that's what's always worked. And now it's not and they don't know what to do. I don't think, because I don't think I've ever seen in a long time, almost coming up on two decades, where the Yankees really haven't been that relevant when it comes to the postseason. And yeah, I'd have to agree with you. I was going to go Yankees on this one and I hate the Yankees. I root for the Red Sox because I hate the Yankees that much. That's pretty much where it's at. But Tony, what about you? Who has the most to prove this year?
Speaker 2:I'm going to have to say I have two teams that have the most approved this year. The first I'm going to have to say is Toronto, because they've had a lot of I like Toronto. They've had a lot of young talent that's come through. You have Bo Bichette, vladdy Jr. They've got some young talent but they've haven't won and haven't been able to advance. They made the playoffs with 89 wins, from 21 to 23, having 89-92-91 wins, but they haven't put it together and they think I mean, how long is Vladdy going to stay?
Speaker 2:I mean, how long is Vladdy going to stay? How long do you think Vladdy's going to stay before he goes somewhere else? Before he goes to an LA, goes to a New York, goes to a team that can contend, because Toronto's the only MLB team in Canada and they've got a fan base that does show up to games. But you've got to, although it's nice to win 90-some-odd games a year, you've got to have results. I mean, I know the AL East isn't obviously the easiest division, but that means you've got to make things happen. And this second one is going to kind of be a strange answer. But at this point, this team, really you can't fall off the bottom, in this case the Chicago White Sox. Point this team.
Speaker 3:really you can't fall off the bottom, in this case the chicago white socks because you can't, you can't have a.
Speaker 2:You really, you really, you can't have another 121 loss season, that that just can't happen. You gotta, at some point you've gotta trend up. Am I saying that they're gonna win the central? No. Am I saying they're gonna be 500? No. Am I saying they're even gonna not finish last? No. But you gotta that last season was just an aberration, that that was one of the worst seasons I've ever experienced as a baseball fan I'm not a fan of the White Sox by any stretch.
Speaker 1:but I had to kind of feel sad because that's just yeah, when you see pictures of the stadium completely empty on like a Friday, saturday night game and there's five people in the stands, it's like, okay, what do we got to do? That's bad for baseball, that's bad for, that's bad. Yeah, that's just bad for the sport in general. Because, you know, there's so many people that were screaming after the season to sell the team, move the team. The White Sox aren't going to make it in Chicago because of this. We already have a team in Chicago. That's actually, you know, putting up wins. We don't need to. And, yeah, when that's happening, I mean, I I think if they don't lose 100 games this year, it's a win for them. They're moving in the right direction because because, yeah, you lose 121 games. How the pirates don't even lose 121 games a year and they try to lose like it's. I don't know. I've been shitting on the Pirates this entire time.
Speaker 1:I'm a huge Pirates fan, but I'm hoping somebody from Pittsburgh listens to this show and maybe listens a little bit Like, hey, let's spend some money, let's be relevant, because back in, oh, what was it? I think it was 11 or 12 when the Pirates made, when they had AJ J Burnett and that, when they were in the wildcard game, did you, everybody, anybody see what the town of Pittsburgh did for that team when they were there? Like well?
Speaker 4:just listen to the games and just listen to it.
Speaker 3:Listen, listen to that. It's unbelievable.
Speaker 4:It's the Quato.
Speaker 1:The Quato call is it's the best atmosphere for pro sports is Pittsburgh and I love Pittsburgh sports and I love the Pirates and it's just I want to see them when they had the bat signal up on one of the buildings and green lights when Burnett was pitching and like it's. That's the kind of atmosphere you want for baseball. That is good for the sport and it's good for everybody. That's the kind of atmosphere you want for baseball. That is good for the sport and it's good for everybody around in the in the town of Pittsburgh and yeah.
Speaker 4:And I and I, I love LA, I love the Dodgers in a sense of like listen, they're forcing everybody else's hand. But sometimes you have first pitch and those $10,000 seats in the playoffs behind home plate are empty, waiting for the celebrities and the season ticket holders coming to sit down there. You're not going to see that at small market teams. Those people are up. You have kids, you have everybody moving.
Speaker 1:It's a blue collar men, women that are just there and just want to root on their team, and that is 100% Pittsburgh. We spoke a little bit about teams moving and I want to get y'all's thoughts on this, and TJ will stay with you. What are your thoughts on the A's moving to Vegas? I think that.
Speaker 4:Maybe it's going to fall on deaf ears, but this is a tone setter for owners. Hopefully you know hey, a city cares for a team, people, the fans. That city cares for a team that you invest in and if you don't, the fans will stop. The fans will say hey, listen, it's not worth my time because it's not worth the owner's time. The a's ownership gave up and said you know what? We're just going to be the last place team and be okay with it. And fans don't like being insulted and they turn their back. They came out and showed it where they had that one fan uh rebellion, where they sold out the stadium. Where they had that one fan rebellion, where they sold out the stadium just because and they sold it out in that last year saying hey, we are all here, we have all these baseball fans. Please give us something to come to the stadium to see. Don't give us AAA and AA guys that you brought up just because we have nine players on the field. Give us something to cheer for.
Speaker 4:And I think that moving the team was a Band-Aid on a bullet hole and then to double down on it. The owners really spit in the face of the fans because now the A's are spending money, now they're signing people, now they're extending contracts and it's like, listen, that was all your fans were asking for. So I think that there was maybe a little bit of backhand. You know shadiness where it's like, hey, we just want to get out of Oakland, let's find a way out. Vegas is a great spot for, you know, people coming in tourism. But you know and being a Cleveland fan, we know what it's like to not spend money and unfortunately it's really really frustrating. But you know, owners need to kind of step up and say, listen, this is your investment, your fans are your demand, you know. So give us what we need to do and we'll keep coming. We will give the owners millions and millions of dollars as long as you give us a product to watch.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I couldn't have said that better myself. I think they're just trying to get everybody out of that Northern California area and move them all to Vegas, started with the Raiders, and you know it's happening now Got hockey teams. You know they're bringing pro sports to Vegas. But Drew, what about you? What do you think about the A's move?
Speaker 3:Yeah, it seems like Vegas is the place to be right now, but no, I think TJ hit it right on the head. Man, it's a shame because you have a franchise that's been in Oakland for so long and you see these new not new cities but, like the Golden Knights or, like you said, the Raiders, are going to Vegas. That's a cool place to be. They're having success and you know what? The Raiders aren't good. The golden Knights are okay, but they sell out stadiums, people. And if you're a fan of the Oakland A's and you live in Raleigh, north Carolina, you're going to say, all right, let's go to Oak, let's go to Vegas and watch them. They get a, they get a trip out of it. You know what I mean. I don't think you're going to see that too much in Oakland. It's. You know, vegas is Vegas, oakland, oakland. Vegas is better. It comes down to the situation.
Speaker 4:Yeah, Alienating a fan base here, hope there's a life in Oakland.
Speaker 3:But like you, but say it happened to the Guardians, say Cleveland. Can you imagine what would happen in Cleveland? It would be. I think every fan would just lay in the stadium until they said, no, we're not going to do this anymore. So I do feel bad for the small markets, but it seems like in 2025, it's a new thing to do. It's just like the transfer portal Everyone's moving around and trying to get to a better spot. I think he's the only thing trying to do as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, tony, what are your thoughts? Oh man, I.
Speaker 2:I don't like the move at all. I still think they should be in Oakland for a variety of reasons. I'm not going to ever call them just the athletics. I'm going to call them the Oakland because they should still be in Oakland. I like seeing their postseason games, especially when they beat Detroit bottom of the ninth in 2012. I really think in 2020, if they were able to have fans, that stadium when they played against the White Sox would have been rocking.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's just a major slap in the face and John Fisher just doesn't care. It's just a slap in the face to the people who support Oakland. Oakland won a World Series Like the city's lost three franchises in five years. Yes, the Warriors are still in the Bay Area, but they're in San Francisco. They're on the other side. You've got the Raiders who are in Vegas.
Speaker 2:Even the people in Vegas don't want the move. People in Vegas don't want them there. I in Vegas don't want them there. I mean, I know Vegas is eventually going to get a franchise rightfully so but it just seems really, really, really short-sighted. And for those of you who are A's fans and those of you who are Oakland and the Bay Area, my heart goes out to you. My heart really, truly does go out to you, and John Fisher is one of the worst owners in baseball and it's a real slap in the face that they're actually spending money now that they're up and sat from that. Yes, they're still in NorCal, but you're playing in a AAA ball. You're not going to get that passion, that noise, that Section 116, that soccer-type atmosphere that you're going to get up in Sacramento like you would have in Oakland.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I fear the day that I think baseball and a lot of pro sports are going to this. I fear the day that there's going to be no more small market teams.
Speaker 1:It's going to be all large market New York's, your LA's, your Chicago's, your Boston's, miami's You're going to see all of these big market where, okay, people want to come to these destinations to see a game and there's going to be no more Cleveland, no more Oakland, no more Pittsburgh, none of that, and it's. It's just going to be bad for sports in general. You need these low market teams because you get a different aspect of the game. These guys aren't making the top of the Juan Soto type money, but they're playing their damn hearts out and fans can see that and fans want to see that. They want to see the guys that are going to go out there and bust their ass for nine innings and and put a good product on the field. They might lose the game, but they're, you know they're. They're out there and it's yeah. I think that's yeah. That's where it's heading. That's just what I see happening and I don't want to see it happen, but I think that's where it's where it's heading.
Speaker 4:Fans love the underdog story, right? Absolutely. They want the David versus Goliath. They want that team to take down. They want the small team to take down the big team. That's why you have, I mean, LA, new York, boston, whatever you want to call it they have the biggest enemies, they have the biggest because they just want to see them fall. They want to see them get there and then they want to see them fall. You know, that's just the adage. Where it's they, you got to have it, you have to have it, and that's the so for me. I think of the comparison, right? Ask everybody in the league, ask every fan, really ask every manager do you want Juan Soto or do you want Jose Ramirez? On a day-to-day basis, on an everyday basis, right, and every team will be like I have a guy that steals base, steals 40 bases, hits 40 home runs and hits 40 doubles. But I have the guy that hits 45 home runs with a shuffle that you know can sometimes play some defense. It's like listen, one guy will sell tickets, one guy will win me a game yep yeah or even
Speaker 2:if Detroit knocked off Cleveland in game five, I would vote for Detroit.
Speaker 4:It's still fine it's still with that series. You're looking at that series like, okay, these two teams are two just grinders going at each other, so yeah yeah, I'd love to watch those games and you know just the teams that you know are just gonna.
Speaker 1:It might be a one to nothing victory, but you know these guys are out there grinding and you know it's in. It's a good game to watch. Um, but drew, let's go to you for this one. Uh, will the yankees or the mets go further this?
Speaker 3:year oh, that's a hot topic in this Yankees or the Mets, you know what. And I got a shirt upstairs. My mom's a big Yankees fan and, um, when I was, I know right, and we when she went to New York. When, uh, this is going back I heard her friends go to New York, she brought me back a subway series shirt that I still have. I thought it was really a pretty cool shirt.
Speaker 3:Anyways, I think you might see a subways yeah, I think you might see a subway series this year. I really do, both teams are really good. Um, I'm gonna go with my mets, though, when at all in that situation. So, uh, I say the mets are gonna go a little bit further I had a feeling that's where you're going. That's why I wanted to get to you first on this one Tony, what about you?
Speaker 2:I'm going to say that I think that I'm going to go on a limb and I'm going to say the Mets. I'm going to say the Mets, yeah meet the Mets.
Speaker 1:I'm just trying to hype Drew up right now, tony, it's not that I hate the Yankees I do, but that's not the point.
Speaker 2:I think the Mets will go further, because I think that they can potentially win the NL East. I mean, they rode that momentum, with the power of God and Grimace on their side, to a six-game series. And the Mets, even though they are based in New York, are an underdog franchise and seen as the little brother of the Yankees. And the Yankees, I mean Garrett Cole is out for the 2025. John Carlos Stanton's injured. This is not the same Yankee team of years past. This isn't the same Yankees team that's going to scare the crap out of you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think they'll probably make playoffs, but I don't see them making a deep run, especially now that Garrett Cole's out for the year.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you lose one of your aces. Pitching Stanton's hurt Judge isn't really doing much. I don't know. Tj, let's go to you before so I can collect myself before this one.
Speaker 4:Hot take Yankees do not make the playoffs. We have Baltimore, who is solid. I think that, whether it's Boston or Toronto, one of them has to step up this year. And we always discount the Rays and the Rays have always been just kind of there, just kind of there taking a playoff spot from somebody. But the injury to Cole is massive. They're going to do everything they can to try to fix it. And let's not forget, luis Gil is out for a little bit. He is not starting the season right now, and that's two major pitchers that they had high hopes For going into the season.
Speaker 4:Judge does not have the protection that he once had. Rizzo is still on the Free agent list, I believe. I mean that lineup. What is that lineup going to look like? So I mean, you might have a lot of young guys, you might have some guys that come in and do a couple of good things, but they just don't have the protection. And when you don't have a lineup that has good protection for your, for your top guys, you have to rely on your pitching staff and defense. They do not play defense well and their pitching staff is hurt. I think they're going to dig themselves a hole too early in the season.
Speaker 4:Um, to come back, and I think the american league is too good, I think the al central is gonna stick around and just kind of be around. That 80. You're gonna have three teams that between 85 and 95 wins. I think that, um, you know, the mariners had a terrible year but I think they're gonna come back this year. I think that there's just other teams in the ale that aren't gonna allow the yankees to sneak into a wild card team. So I think the mets are gonna at least make the playoffs. So, um, I will say the mets get further, further.
Speaker 2:I will add this Outside of Judge and Stanton, nobody in that Yankee line scares me. I'm just going to be completely, I'm just going to be.
Speaker 1:No, I've been screaming for somebody to sign Rizzo. I mean, you've got a guy like that that's on the free agent market, it's just.
Speaker 2:I know a certain Something's up with him.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 4:They have some insider information.
Speaker 1:Something's gotta be wrong, that's the only thing I can think of how do you not sign Rizzo? Somebody's gonna sign him. I mean, somebody's gonna sign him, but why hasn't he been signed yet?
Speaker 4:Even like a Guardians, where they say, hey, we'll take Carlos Santana You're telling me Rizzo's at least even, or maybe a little bit above Carlos Santana when it comes to hey, I would like a veteran at the corner, somebody that will play every day, maybe somebody that could a good contact, a lefty swing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, come on. Yeah, I think, yeah, pittsburgh. What are you doing? What's wrong?
Speaker 4:How could you just?
Speaker 1:What could go wrong?
Speaker 4:Yeah right.
Speaker 1:Okay, you're in Pittsburgh. What do you lose? Let's sign Rizzo, let's get him on a one-year deal, and if it doesn't, work out oh, we screwed up, sorry.
Speaker 2:Or sign with the White Sox. Somebody's got to get over to him.
Speaker 1:There's a line over there. Go sit and write it. Hey guys, we're running down near the end of the episode here. I do want to get this last question in here, cause I think it's going to be a good one, and that's do you think there needs to be a salary cap in baseball and TJ? I want to start with you.
Speaker 4:Salary cap no. Salary floor yes, I want. I think that these athletes put their bodies through so much and we don't even know the travel, the every single day and you know, you don't know if you're going to have a 3 year career or a 10 year career. So these players deserve money and we need to get these fans. We need to get fans out to the ballpark. So there needs to be a little bit more promoting when it comes to that. Make the game accessible for kids. I'm fully believe on the. You know, if you're 12 and under, get in free. Just get kids in the park. But a salary floor yes, Because you have your Oaklands, you have your whoever. It is small markets, I get it. No-transcript. I'm going to invest in my product, so give me a floor. I'm okay with no cap, but give me a floor.
Speaker 1:I like that. I never thought of it that way. That's a good point. But, Drew, what about you?
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's a really good point, tj. I say yes through SB's salary cap. Added in three sports MLB, nfl, nba. Nfl is one of my most supported. I watch and pay attention to and it's so interesting how these GM's maneuver what they can do with money and all that, and it's cool to see how they do that. And MLB sent them to a 100 million dollar contract for a 10 year, and you know what I mean. Like there's no strategy to it. I see the strategy in the nfl, which I like, and I think if you brought that to the mlb it'd be a whole different game. The yankees and the guardians would be on the same level floor and that's something you would never see, ever. You know what I. So I think it would be cooler to see a salary cap in the MLB.
Speaker 1:Okay, tony.
Speaker 2:I think we should see a salary floor. I agree with TJ and I want minor leaguers to be paid more as well, because not all minor leaguers are going to make it to the show. Good point Even if you don't make it to the show, you should be able to earn a living, a livable wage, if you're going to be 28, 29, 30, a double A, triple A, maybe, you know, maybe that little extra pay might motivate you in case you do get that call at 30, 31, 32 years old. But if you're not, if you don't pay them, then they've got to make ends meet by doing odd jobs and stuff like that. They should be paid a fair, livable wage, especially for what they do playing ball in the summer, trying to make it to the show.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I agree with that that the minor leaguers need paid, Mainly because they're putting a better product on the field, because they're trying to get to the show. Let's pay them. Tj, I think you just kind of floored the end of the show here with your salary floor idea because I wasn't even thinking of that. That wasn't even a thought in my mind. That could be a thing. Let's tell teams you have to spend this much money in salary, at least this much money on your players. I think it would force teams to, like you said, pay these guys and let's put a good product on the field.
Speaker 4:Rizzo's not in free agency. If you had to spend money because it's like, hey, here's the dollars that we have, who's the best available? Let's go put a bid on the best available and then, okay, find the next best available.
Speaker 1:You know and if they don't come to you, you know like, you have to spend that money. You have to spend that amount of money. I don't care if it's 100 million, whatever, 200, whatever it is, you have to spend that amount of money. I don't care if it's a hundred million, whatever, 200, whatever it is, you have to spend this amount of money. You spend one more power to you. If you can't but get them to a certain point, like I, yeah, reserves available, okay, okay, give them 50, 60 million. You know, make them an offer. I mean, I don't know any human being in their right mind that's like, oh, $50 million, no, no, thank you.
Speaker 4:No, I'm good.
Speaker 1:I'm cool. I don't know anybody who would turn that down. But yeah, that's a great way and I think that's a great cliffhanger to leave everybody left with here. Because that is going to do it for this week's episode of the ride home rants podcast. I want to thank all my guests Tony, drew and TJ for joining get to talk all things MLB and baseball. I look forward to seeing how the season plays out and how everything happens and hopefully we can have our predictions come true. But, as always, if you enjoyed the show, be a friend, tell a friend. If you didn't show, be a friend, tell a friend. If you didn't tell them. Anyways, they might like it just because you didn't. That's going to do it for me and I will see y'all next week.
