Until baseball has a salary cap in place, it will be all small-market owners use to justify their lack of spending – and thus competition – against the Dodgers, Mets and Yankees of the world. These same owners have been calling for a cap for nearly a decade. Each and every year, as inflation in the sports world skyrockets, so to does the net worth of every MLB owner and their franchises. Yet, only some of those owners use most of that increased revenue on improving the roster itself.
These same owners point to other professional sports leagues in America – namely the NBA and NFL – as how a hard salary cap system should work. The game grows, and all of its teams grow together. They point to parity and an ever-increasing number that allows players to achieve their worth, and not leave any market behind. But is such a system really so promising?
Why a hard salary cap doesn't guarantee MLB will thrive
A hard cap does little to guarantee MLB will thrive in the modern sports environment. While owners scream of financial parity, the NFL (Patriots and Chiefs) alongside the NBA (Lakers, Warriors and Celtics) have been victims of dynasties just as much as MLB. The difference, per baseball's perspective, is that those teams were held the same financial obligations as every other. They were just built better.
Most importantly, though, smaller markets only thrive when owners take accountability. When a team fails, so to does the coaching staff, front office and ownership group. They all put their heads together to fix the problem, rather than pointing to something out of their control. That's what Nutting, Jerry Reinsdorf and baseball's penny-pinching owners have been doing for years. What makes anyone think they'll stop when they finally get what they want?
Take, for example, the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL.
What baseball's worst owners can learn from the Steelers
The Steelers were among the most well-run organizations in sports. They have cache – three head coaches in nearly 60 years – and six Super Bowl trophies to show for it. But they also ignored important organizational pillars to the point that their only positive asset – that same head coach – left the franchise. Now, Mike Tomlin did not step down from his role because he was upset with the Steelers facilities and training staff, but it sure hasn't helped an average team attract the best talent the last decade, in which Pittsburgh has lost seven straight playoff games.
In the latest NFLPA report card, the once-renowned Steelers organization received a D+ grade. They were 28th out of 32 teams, including 32nd in strength coaches, 30th in nutrition, 27th in locker room quality and 28th in ownership.
Category | Grade |
|---|---|
Treatment of families | C- |
Food/dining area | B- |
Nutricion | C+ |
Locker room | D |
Training room | C+ |
Strength coaches | C- |
Team travel | B+ |
Head coach | A |
Ownership | D |
The Steelers ignored spending around the margins for so long, that they also lost much of what once made them a name brand in the NFL. Fans may not care about these things as much as the overall bottom line, but players sure do. And ultimately, players make winning teams more than any other facet, including new head coach Mike McCarthy and whoever he chooses to join his staff.
It takes more than money to build a winning organization
The Steelers are a classic case of a once-proud franchise who ignored much-needed improvements for the sake of some extra cash. It just so happens that those failed investments in the past decade coincided with a seven-game playoff losing streak. The Steelers, a team with six Super Bowls (most in NFL history), don't have a postseason win in a decade. Really soak that in. It's be like the Yankees failing to win a playoff series in the same timespan.
Bad baseball franchises face many of the same issues as the Steelers, but they don't have the same reputation. Look no further than the Pirates, a team that plays its games less than a mile from Acrisure Stadium. Pittsburgh spent a bit more money this winter in a clear attempt to show players and fellow owners that, in the right circumstances, they were willing to spend. No one bought it, and the Pirates will still start the 2026 season just over $100 million in payroll, at best. And it's not like Nutting is reinvesting some of that money elsewhere.
As the owner of an MLB team, it is Nutting's responsibility to find a way to compete with what the market demands. Even if MLB had a salary cap, he (and many other owners) have shown no willingness to match the likes of the Dodgers when it comes to spring training facilities, scouting, international impact or front office acumen.
It's time to stop pointing at payroll alone.