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Not sure. What would you say as an accountant?

Even if the gate revenue is the same, 30,000 people can eat more hot dogs than 15,000 people. And there is the whole “increasing your brand” aspect of it...

Baseball shouldn’t mess with on-game strategies like specialized relievers or employing the shift. Just enforce the existing pace of play rules. These were built into the game but are too often ignored. If you do anything, limit the number of times a player can step out of the box during an at bat. Also, stop the stupid “expanded roster” thing in September. Or at the very least, stop allowing (up to) all 40 players to dress and be available. Teams play for 5 months with 25 players and maybe 7 or 8 relievers, but for one month they are allowed a 12 man bullpen and 10 available bench players? Nothing drags a game along worse than 7 pitching changes in the last 3 innings. Stop that nonsense now. And if eliminated teams want to see their younger players perform, get them on the 25-man active roster somehow. Phantom DL trips? Flat out release certain non-QO pending free agents? There are options here. And yes, Yes, YES to bringing the DH to the NL. Seriously that league needs to quit pretending it’s still 1968...

MLBTR covered this. I suspect it’s Atlanta, but Boston is certainly a candidate. Either way, it’s bad news for one Craig Kimbrel...

While the MLBPA doesn’t want to hear it, lowering salaries could accomplish this. While the primary argument against it is “if the players don’t get the money the owners do,” this oft-repeated argument ignores a third option - namely the fans do. If there was a cap and owners reduced salary, teams with lower attendance might be able to make ticket prices more affordable and enable more fans to actually attend a game. In the bigger markets, I don’t expect much. But if the teams in Minnesota or Kansas City or Milwaukee can be competitive on the field and be more affordable for fans, these teams could see an increase in attendance...

It would help Boston, New York, LA and SF, That's about it. The owners in the small markets need to find a way to stay competitive if they want to garner gate fees, and forgiving the egregious spending for a few teams doesn't accomplish that at all.

The thing is, if MLB had a “contract forgiveness” against the luxury tax in some way , shape or form, I do agree it might only affect a few teams. Most teams will gamble on the player restoring enough value to be traded. Like half the Giants’ roster. The “scrap heap” argument has zero merit. Not only would the union not care, but recent history has even proved it wrong, since Tulowitzki and Sandoval both found MLB jobs. A-Rod didn’t, however, but he was 40...

Exactly. Sandoval and Tulowitzki were released and the union didn’t make a peep...

Exactly when did the union start caring about player opportunity? Their primary goal is and has always been player salaries...

That would benefit the players. Panda/Tull/whoever getting released (and piid in full) would open up a spot Oman MLB roster for another player.

Not necessarily. It depends on when they get added to the 40-man...

J That’s the one without the mysterious rock!!

We might be the only one willing to pay $2.75million for it. Austin Barnes, Nick Hundley, and Martin Maldonado are currently all without jobs and might be willing to take less money despite all being standout defenders. If you were a GMin need of a defensive backup catcher, wouldn’t you see the asking price of those three before trying to work out a trade for Leon? Drew Butera signed this morning on a minor league deal that guarantees a $1.3 mill salary if he makes the majors. Those other three might do better, but as times goes on they also might get more desperate...

JD really isn’t a backup outfielder. If Cora pinch hits for Bradley, will he really take the DH out of the game? Holt and Nunez right now are counted on to play 2b, 3b, SS and back up all 3 outfield positions ( with CF being backed up indirectly). Moreland and Pearce have small amounts of poor outfield experience, but that was in the past and probably best forgotten even short term, just like Pearce’s experiences at 2b and 3b. Lin would make a ton of sense because he has an option left and can also be the defensive 3b replacement Cora supposedly wants. And unlike Swihart, he has a option left, which is important because he can go to Pawtucket if Pedroia and everyone else is actually healthy. The Sox might simply DFA Swihart and hope he clears if no suitable trade can be found, like last year. But if they wait too long and Swihart has a good spring, it makes it less likely he clears waivers...

Most of the highest paid player this off-season are making money in arbitration. So far only Patrick Corbin has really cashed in as a free agent....

A two month delay many teams employ to gain an extra year of control. What do you suppose teams will do when control is reduced by 2 years? A team could possibly look at a “ready” 22 year old player and decide having him for ages 23-26 or 24-27 might make more sense than losing him to free agency at age 25.

I think teams might see the advantage in controlling seasons 25-28 instead of, say, 23-26. Teams play games now with calling up prospects to maximize service time. If you reduce it by 33%, you think that is going to stop?

Actually keeping them in the minors could maximize ROI. Players would be less likely to be rushed to MLB, which is often the case today...

That might go further into suppressing salaries. After 4 years, some players haven’t reached their potential yet. It might also lead to players spending more time in the minors...

Can we stop the whining about how this team is being “held back” by the contracts of Sandoval and Pedroia? Yes the two combine for about $31mill in AAV. But that still leaves Dombrowski $200 mill to build a team with. That’s not the most difficult task. This year, probably 25-28 teams will have payrolls below $200mill in AAV. And plenty of them have bad contracts as well. Plenty of those contracts are a lot worse and a lot longer than Sandoval. (Go check out the Giants payroll, for example.) The Sox don’t have Kimbrel or any other expensive relievers by choice. Dombrowski decided to pursue Pearce and Eovaldi and handle the bullpen the way he has historically. And while he did have issues with the Tiger bullpen in the postseason, this Sox team might be looking at using Eovaldi as their postseason closer as they see what works during the regular season for relievers and roles...

Ok. As someone named after his Dad, I can tell you you are not the first one to mix them both up...

In Florida. That’s not local to Boston...

If Pedroia is on the DL, is a third catcher really a necessity here? The Sox are using Holt and Nunez to backup 6 positions, and if Pedroia is out, one of them is starting...

You mean cut. Leon will be next to impossible to trade as there are plenty of similar players still available on the free agent market. Also Leon is really the best defensive catcher of the three. Swihart has the advantage of being the most versatile, but the Sox already have two other better supersubs on the roster. As the third best catcher and the third best super sub, he’s as redundant as it gets...

How is Steven Pearce a local boy? He was born and grew up in Florida and went to college in South Carolina...