Listened to these guys today regarding the Arbitrator ruling against Bryant. To them, you would think the Cubs screwed him. If he were to retire tomorrow, he has already earned generational wealth.

What bothered me is that neither offered the perspective that perhaps Bryant (and Boras) are being greedy. They both completely sided with the player, stating the Cubs are too cheap to go over the luxury tax.

KB has missed a lot of games. His numbers have dropped. The Cubs have paid him tens of millions. I think there is another side to this, and I wish one of them would have presented it.

They are their own echo chamber.

Echo chamber? Bernstein's a grade-A management boot-licker. That he sided with a player against management for a change is news.

I think it’s the norm more than not to side with players. Sure Bryant was a victim of the rules. But many were and the more senior players bargained it.

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Elections have consequences.

Repeat luxury tax offenses are purely wasted dollars. Resetting the tax is key. It sucks, but that’s the reality of the economics. The money was poorly spent.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

Can't believe Bernstein has gone meatball. The Cubs are simply following the rules collectively bargained.

Can the Cubs rework Bryant's (not that he would) contract, or another player's, such that they make it under the luxury tax this season? Then spread it back into their deal over the couple years.

They're about $1million over this year.

2020: $208 million

2021: $210 million

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Yes. This should be stickied. Not that hard to figure out.

Oh boo hoo, luxury tax. Yes, they (like every team in every sport in history) should spend money more wisely, but they’re not going to go broke paying it. The less money the idiot Ricketts family has the better. We can add the fiduciary responsibility trophy next to the attendance championships.

Still rather have the Ricketts than the Tribune or Zell.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

If the Cubs were to exceed the luxury tax, it should be to add additional pieces or retain players like Castenellos
The Cubs have Bryant under control thanks to a collectivilly bargained contact. Heyward isn't giving any money back for turning into a pumpkin. Sounds like you want the Cubs to chase the "Do the right thing" trophy.

I didn’t say what they should do, I just don’t care if they go over the luxury tax. Maybe the next time the Cubs win a WS in 2050, Ricketts III will give all the fans who stan’d for their pocketbooks a ring too.

There were to be massive streams of revenue to pay the taxes. “Heyward’s contract will not affect future spending”.

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Elections have consequences.

Let me know when Pittsburgh or the Sox puts out a 200 plus million payroll.

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Nobody is paying the repeat tax, not even the Dodgers with their (((Guggenheim))) money.

What do the Pirates or the White Sox have to do with the Cubs and the luxury tax?

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I just let him go on.

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Elections have consequences.

So I had two points on this thread:

1. Bernstein and McKnight think KB is getting screwed. I just disagree with this. I think he is being petty, petulant, and a bit of a baby. The Cubs drafted him, developed him, turned him into a superstar, and it seems all he cares about is getting a bigger check than the next guy. I was a huge fan of his, but am not now.

2. B&M taking the same side. Guys on this board have taken both sides with a great back-and-forth argument. It's fun. It's interesting. But both of those douchebags accusing the Cubs of being cheap is just boring.

Another post to be stickied.

Incorrect. I never once heard anyone say that the fictional "massive streams of revenue" would be used to pay a payroll tax. No team is going to continually pay the payroll tax.



Correct. Heyward's contract did not stop them from giving stupid money to Darvish, Chatwood, Kimbrel, Morrow.

They are not being cheap with Bryant. He is most likely not re-signing and he is also making a shit ton of money for pre-free agency. If it were as simple as paying some extra cash for being over the salary threshold I doubt it would be an issue but this thing compounds with each year and costs draft picks as the penalties increase. Get what you can get for Bryant because he isn't signing long term and he really hasn't been all that good since being hit in the head.

The thing Theo and maybe Ricketts are fucking up with is reshaping the roster within the contraints of the tax threshold. There are creative ways to eat Heywards salary but they seem unwilling to explore those options or trade any of the "core" players. I believe there was a way to trade for Seager from Seattle and get out of the Heyward contract. It involved some huge buyout in Seager's contract but the Cubs could pay out the money and have it not count against payroll.

I like the Contreras and Heyward for Arronado deal and then a separate Bryant for prospects deal.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

It is a shame you aren't the GM, it sounds so simple.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Heyward is unmovable, that just ain't happening

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They have no other option, SJW membership requires taking stances against everything the Ricketts family does because members of the Ricketts family have been supported conservative political agendas.

They have no other option, SJW membership requires taking stances against everything the Ricketts family does because members of the Ricketts family have been supported conservative political agendas.

It's all part of The Plan.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

I know there is a thread out there way back in his rookie year of me saying he would hold the team keeping him in the minors against them and Cub fans calling me a troll.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Yup. You nailed it.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Are you 7? Every player wants to get paid.

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Developed him and turned him into a superstar?

Bryant was as much of a can't miss pick as you're ever going to find. He was a veritable NO BRAINER pick.

He owes the Cubs nothing. The Cubs got Bryant for below market value, each season he has played.

They can pay market value to keep him or work out a trade. That's the business.

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Sure they do. Does every player want every last dollar at the cost of competitiveness? Do players ever want to simply be happy in one place for a career with just what they need? They are people so I assume there are 100 viewpoints. Bryant chose his strategy and agent to make this come about. Others in baseball did not.

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Elections have consequences.