The MLB wage cap debate has been an enormous one ever for the reason that Los Angeles Dodgers’ billion-dollar spending spree.
The New York Mets then gave Juan Soto a $765 million contract this offseason, and a flurry of different groups have shelled out gigantic contracts in years previous.
On the flip facet, some groups have small payrolls, together with the Athletics and Miami Marlins.
In truth, groups have to have 1.5 instances the payroll quantity they earn from income sharing. In any other case, they get a penalty.
Ken Rosenthal Weighs in on Marlins’ Payroll Conundrum
The Marlins enter the 2025 season with an estimated payroll variety of $47,130,000 quantity in present allocations and a projected allocation variety of $62,140,000, per Spotrac.
Which means the Marlins may very well be $20 million brief, which might not be pleasing to MLB.
Nicely, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal chimed in and prompt penalties for groups such because the Marlins, who’re in that dialog.
“They’re an estimated $20 million beneath the place they need to be,” Rosenthal mentioned in regards to the Marlins. “I don’t see them including $20 million throughout the season…They’re going to commerce, most certainly, Sandy Alcantara, and at that time, they’ll be even additional away from that threshold.”
“May it result in change? That’s maybe the larger query. You’ve heard a number of discuss a wage flooring,” Rosenthal continued throughout an episode of Foul Territory. “They have already got a gentle cap with the posh tax system in place. Why not put an identical system with penalties and floating numbers on the backside of the pay scale when you’re not going to do a wage cap?”
“You go beneath a sure degree, you get penalized. In case you transcend a sure degree, you get penalized much more. To me, that looks as if a logical option to go if the present system stays intact.”
If the Marlins fall brief with their luxurious tax payroll, might that result in penalties on the backside of the pay scale?@Ken_Rosenthal brings up an fascinating idea… pic.twitter.com/fYSo2gRj0W
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 19, 2025
It’s an fascinating idea by Rosenthal, and it may very well be one thing MLB seems to be at going ahead.
Spotrac has the Marlins with the bottom payroll within the MLB this 12 months, as their 26-man payroll quantity coming in at $31,350,000. The Chicago White Sox comply with at $55,871,400, so it’s a big leap from final to second to final.
Alcantara, who may very well be a Marlins commerce piece sooner or later this season, is ready to earn $17 million this 12 months. So, if he’s traded, that’s much more monetary juggling the Marlins need to do so as to meet the requirement.
All in all, there may very well be adjustments for the Marlins coming quickly.
