A salary cap after 2011? Perhaps.

[missionhockey21]

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. (AP) -- Some baseball owners say it may be time to reconsider a salary cap after the New York Yankees spent nearly a half-billion dollars on free agents during a recession that may cause some teams to retrench.

"I would ask, if it's such a bad idea, what sport doesn't have a salary cap other than us?" Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said Wednesday.

A salary cap isn't on the agenda of the major league owners meetings this week. But it could become an issue when the present collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2011 season -- especially if the economy worsens.

"I think there's a lot of owners that would like to have that right now," Oakland owner Lew Wolff said. "I think the parity is what we're looking for, and the more ways you can get to parity the better. I think it's pretty good now, but I think it could be better.

"It's a very good question, because maybe this recession, depression, whatever we're in may be a change for a lot more years," Wolff said.

The bleak economy was on the owners' minds as they gathered at an exclusive mountainside resort to begin two days of meetings. Owners compared notes on ticket sales and sponsorships and other indicators of the economy's squeeze and were set to consider proposals Thursday to eliminate the possibility of rain-shortened postseason games and to change the method of determining sites of tiebreaker games to head-to-head record rather than coin flips.

Wolff said the Athletics' ticket sales are down about 10 percent from a year ago. The Brewers lost Mercedes-Benz as a sponsor but added a presenting sponsorship agreement with Potawatomi Bingo Casino -- part of an expected double-digit percentage gain in sponsorship revenue.

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[HollywoodLeo]

sweet

[realmofotalk]

I'm not so sure I want a cap. Sure, it will restrict the Yankees and Red Sox from dominating the free agency market, but the last thing I want is 20 teams with the ability to go after Russell Martin instead of just two to compete with.

[love_that_reefer]

According to Buster Olney, more owners support the current system rather than putting a cap on the payroll.

[Slyder]

According to Buster Olney, more owners support the current system rather than putting a cap on the payroll.

Because with the salary cap there would likely be a salary floor built in so teams like Florida cant be cheap skates and spend the absolute bare minimum to and pocket every bit of that luxury tax they can get a hold of.

[love_that_reefer]

That could be part of it. Marlins might be cheapskates but they remain competitive. I doubt there will ever be a salary cap.

[NYgiantsfan5689]

a cap would kill baseball short term. plus, there's plenty of parity as it is. the Yankees didn't make the playoffs and the Rays made the World Series. there's plenty of parity

[catman]

With the luxury tax on payrolls I really don't see that there is a real problem for anyone other than the "high-dollar" players that are nearing the end of their careers. No one wants to give Bobby Abreu $16M a year for 4 seasons again (or even 1 season). Pudge Rodriguez could still play effectively, but not for the money he wants.
I have been in favor of a salary cap/floor and have proposed a system in the past, but I'm not really sure it is needed anymore. If baseball puts a cap on salaries, fine. If not, also fine.

[Hybrid]

I seriously doubt there will ever be a salary cap in baseball. For one thing, the MLBPA would have to agree to it, and I don't see that happening.