Oh … So the Owners Who Opposed MLB’s Last Offer Are Definitely Not the Ones I Would Have Guessed

For all the reasons I dug into last night, I think it is important to discuss the report that four MLB owners voted no on the league’s “best” offer this past week, believing it was too generous for the players. But, as I said then, it’s also important not to go too far with information that (1) is very convenient for one side to have out there, and (2) could be more flexible than it initially sounds.

One thing I didn’t get into, at least not explicitly, was the identities of the four teams/owners that had voted no. They weren’t named in the original SNY report, and I didn’t see much point in trying to name names. I figured we all knew they were among the smaller-market teams that stand to benefit most from holding down the bigger-market teams and artificially depressing salaries across the board. That was enough for me.

Well. I was kinda wrong. Because these are definitely not the precise teams I would have guessed:

What an odd mix that is. If you search for a harmonizing principle, you’re going to come up short, because you’ve got only one historically always tight franchise (Reds), one periodically very tight franchise (Diamondbacks), one franchise that goes through cycles of spending very aggressively (Tigers), and one franchise that pretty much always spends aggressively (Angels). You could characterize Cincinnati and Detroit in the smaller-market bucket, but they have not historically been among the smaller-market clubs that get beefed about.

So what the heck is bringing these particular four owners together? Just a desire to keeps salaries down? (Maybe.) Divisional concerns about big spending opponents? (That would seem to apply only to the Diamondbacks and maybe the Reds.) Just big boss problems with paying employees too much money? (Who knows.)

I mean, it’s not like it’s just “teams that don’t like to go over the luxury tax,” because that’s most teams! Heck, the Pirates and Rays and A’s and Marlins apparently voted yes on this thing, but the Angels did not? What the what? (Also, if those teams can get on board with a proposal but you cannot, then you should probably feel some additional shame, if possible.)

One other thing that’s really interesting here: what if some of our assumptions about who is driving the CBA talks from the owner side have been … wrong? What if it isn’t a coalition of smaller-market clubs? Or ones that don’t do particularly well in April and May? Could it be that, while many of the owners are on board with the overall strategy (either get a ridiculous win, or cancel a big chunk of games), the divisions among them on the finer points are much more idiosyncratic and broad-based? What if we can’t predict the positions of the owners in relation to the CBT as well as we would have thought?

I gotta mull this a bit, because these are just not the four teams I would’ve come up. Sure, two of them would’ve been frequently among my attempts, but let’s just say, if it were a Wordle, I would absolutely lose my streak. Also? Evan Drellich is not exactly known as an MLB shill or owner-friendly reporter. I have actually found him to be very fair throughout this cycle, so him dropping this information makes me wonder all the more about where the incentives lie (could this actually be coming from some owners that WANT to out the Reds/Diamondbacks/Angels/Tigers, and want public pressure applied?).

Like I said last night, I still think when the rubber meets the road and the negotiations get serious again (in a few weeks, probably), some owners might change their votes when they know they are the deciding vote, and/or where they are incentivized to do so by their fellow owners with some kind of internal give. Leverage, even on one side of a negotiation within its own body, is still a thing. More on that here.

(Also, the meal money thing … come on. My very quick math has it that teams provide about $500,000 in meal money throughout the year, give or take. Is that really worth pissing players off to get included in the CBT calculation? Other benefits are included, yes, so it’s not like this is an OUTLANDISH request. But it does effectively shave half a million off the final numbers.)

written by

Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

more cubs news

Justin Steele Injury Update: New Classification, MRI Tomorrow, IL Stint Coming? Steele and Counsell Speak

A significant update on Justin Steele came from Craig Counsell tonight after the Cubs extra innings loss in Texas. In short: Yes, a stint on the Injured List is likely for Justin Steele. But we still don't know how severe...

Enhanced Box Score: Rangers 4, Cubs 3 – March 28, 2024

It took exactly one day for the Cubs' ace to sustain what may be a significant injury, for their closer to blow a save, for the umpires to significantly impact the outcome of a critical play (this time in the...

OMG: Michael Busch Scored the 9th Inning, GO-AHEAD Run, Because He Just Never Stopped Running

That was absolutely incredible. To all the little kids out there, when your coach tells you to never stop running, this is why. Rookie Cubs 1B Michael Busch (the guy the Cubs got from the Dodgers this offseason to be...

Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Rangers – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

*SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...

The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

Latest News

Big Ten Basketball Predictions, Computer Picks and Best Bets | March 29

There is one game on the postseason college basketball schedule on Friday that feature Big Ten squads, and we have best bets recomendations. That matchup is the Gonzaga Bulldogs versus the Purdue Boilermakers.How to Bet on Big Ten Games[lasso ref="draftkings-promo-1"...

SEC Basketball Predictions, Computer Picks and Best Bets | March 30

The Friday postseason college basketball slate includes two games featuring an SEC team in action. Among those games is the Creighton Bluejays playing the Tennessee Volunteers. Here are our recomendations for the best bets on action throughout the conference.How to...

Big 12 Basketball Predictions, Computer Picks and Best Bets | March 30

There is one game on the postseason college basketball schedule on Friday that feature Big 12 squads, and we have best bets recomendations. That matchup is the Duke Blue Devils versus the Houston Cougars.How to Bet on Big 12 Games[lasso...

ACC Basketball Predictions, Computer Picks and Best Bets | March 29

There are two games on the postseason college basketball schedule on Friday that feature ACC squads, and we have best bets recomendations. That includes the Duke Blue Devils versus the Houston Cougars.How to Bet on ACC Games[lasso rel="draftkings-promo-1" id="299003"]Best ACC...

Big East Basketball Predictions, Computer Picks and Best Bets | March 29

There are three games on the postseason college basketball schedule on Friday that feature Big East squads, and we have best bets recomendations. That includes the Creighton Bluejays versus the Tennessee Volunteers.How to Bet on Big East Games[lasso ref="draftkings-promo-1" id="299003"...

Braves vs. Phillies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Atlanta Braves open their season as -125 favorites in a road matchup with the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday at 3:05 PM ET, live on BSSO.Spencer Strider takes the mound for Atlanta while Zack Wheeler is Philadelphia's starter for the...

Washington State vs. Illinois Women’s Basketball: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

Two hot teams meet when the Washington State Cougars (21-14) host the Illinois Fighting Illini (17-15) on April 1, 2024. The Cougars will put their three-game win streak on the line against the Fighting Illini, who have won three straight.On...

Villanova vs. Penn State Women’s Basketball: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

The Villanova Wildcats (21-12) will try to extend a three-game winning streak when they host the Penn State Lady Lions (22-12) on April 1, 2024. The Lady Lions have also won three games in a row.In its previous game, Villanova...

Brewers vs. Mets Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Milwaukee Brewers look to start their season with a win as road favorites (-110) in a season-opening matchup with the New York Mets. First pitch is on Friday at 1:40 PM ET on SNY, live from Citi Field.Freddy Peralta...

Braves vs. Phillies Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

The Atlanta Braves (0-0) and the Philadelphia Phillies (0-0) match up on Friday at Citizens Bank Park for Opening Day. First pitch is at 3:05 PM ET.The Braves will look to Spencer Strider versus the Phillies and Zack Wheeler.Braves vs....

more cubs news