MLB The Show Franchise Mode Can't Handle the Dodgers (And Neither Can the MLB)

[Jeffrey Smith]

Re: MLB The Show Franchise Mode Can't Handle the Dodgers (And Neither Can the MLB)

I like how the Guards do business.

They tend to underspend, which gets frustrating, but they scout well, and they tend to find diamonds in the rough that nobody was expecting. And they put a premium on finding and developing young pitchers so they never have to end up giving a starter a big time contract .

The front office has been top-notch. They've been on the cusp of a championship a few times and it's been heartbreaking.

Frivolously spending doesn't guarantee a championship.

As much as people get annoyed by the Dodgers, they have a good farm system and have drafted well. The Astros tore it all down and drafted well and built their farm system up before they became a winner.

I'm having a hard time making my point, but I get why teams don't just all spend a ton. It's just too bad that some front offices seem very clueless and can't seem to figure it out. But it's not always about money spending.

You’re not wrong about not always being about spending but there’s also a reason why teams like Cleveland and Tampa can’t get over the hump. Once you draft and develop your core you need to be able to spend to supplement your roster. Usually, not always small market teams either don’t or can’t.

[LegendKillerOne]

Re: MLB The Show Franchise Mode Can't Handle the Dodgers (And Neither Can the MLB)

A Salary Cap would kill baseball. If the owners push for it in the next CBA it will almost certainly lead to another lengthy, ugly work stoppage.

What baseball needs is more owners who care about constructing a winning team - or at least better financial incentives to promote everyone trying to be competitive

EDIT: I didn't see jrp's post above - basically the same point

I agree with you about the cap, Last thing I want to see is a work stoppage which forces me to watch basketball. I just worry about when does it end? When a player is making 1 billion? If anything they need to put a stop to contract deferrals right away so that if teams like the Dodgers want to spend all that money, sure go ahead but you pay it now. the only problem is there that is a owner against owner issue. Not sure how that is going to work out.

[Cod]

Re: MLB The Show Franchise Mode Can't Handle the Dodgers (And Neither Can the MLB)

There are no small markets, just small owners.

Can't afford to compete? Sell the team to someone who can.

They treat the teams like businesses and want growing profits every year.

Btw the Dodgers aren't even outspending the league nearly to the degree the Yankees used to. They were running 150 million when no one was even close to that.

The current Yankees spend a smaller percentage of their revenue on the roster than "small market teams" do.

The A's had the highest payroll in the bash brothers era.

You need owners who care about winning more than lining their pockets.

A cap won't happen without two things: a salary floor and season long lockout.

The cheap teams don't want a floor because they'd almost certainly have to increase spending to reach it. And a season long lockout would set the league to second tier status like the NHL lockout did. And it won't ever recover when the aging fan base does off.

Also, the cap structure in the NHL/NBA made trades difficult for GMs to pull off and impossible to understand for the casual fan. The NFL's cap structure screwed players.

With this, you risk a situation that many football (soccer) leagues around the world are running into now. Fans are getting priced out at exponential rates, clubs are saddled with massive debts, parity is non-existent, shady oligarchs get involved, and the list goes on. The only reason clubs stay relevant in this situation is due to history, loyalty, etc...things American sports teams don't have.

I'm not disagreeing with you, just trying to point out there has to a balance.

[Instant C1a55ic]

Re: MLB The Show Franchise Mode Can't Handle the Dodgers (And Neither Can the MLB)

It wouldn't be so annoying if some of the mid to small market teams would seem like they're actually TRYING. There are some teams that don't even seem like they have a plan at all.

This screams Colorado.

Grew up there, and aside from the 2017 season, team is mid. Even the owner himself has blatantly stated they should only make the playoffs every 3-5 years.

WHO SAYS THAT?!

You should want the team to make it EVERY YEAR!

Imagine they had kept Story, LeMahieu, Arenado and then using statistics signed pitchers whom have had a track record of actually playing good in altitude, versus retreats and has beens.

Guess it doesn't matter when you are always top 10 in attendance, and the fans are OK with mediocrity.

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[jcar0725]

Re: MLB The Show Franchise Mode Can't Handle the Dodgers (And Neither Can the MLB)

This screams Colorado.

Grew up there, and aside from the 2017 season, team is mid. Even the owner himself has blatantly stated they should only make the playoffs every 3-5 years.

WHO SAYS THAT?!

You should want the team to make it EVERY YEAR!

Imagine they had kept Story, LeMahieu, Arenado and then using statistics signed pitchers whom have had a track record of actually playing good in altitude, versus retreats and has beens.

Guess it doesn't matter when you are always top 10 in attendance, and the fans are OK with mediocrity.

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When I think of the Rockies, I think of the opposite of Cleveland. The Rockies aren't cheap, but they've given large contracts to players that proved unworthy of those contracts and they're still paying for those mistakes. Cleveland on the other hand are SUPER careful about where they spend their money and getting them to spend an extra dime on a player is like pulling teeth because they "can't afford" to give out a hefty contract to an unworthy player.

[CBoller1331]

Re: MLB The Show Franchise Mode Can't Handle the Dodgers (And Neither Can the MLB)

I agree with you about the cap, Last thing I want to see is a work stoppage which forces me to watch basketball. I just worry about when does it end? When a player is making 1 billion? If anything they need to put a stop to contract deferrals right away so that if teams like the Dodgers want to spend all that money, sure go ahead but you pay it now. the only problem is there that is a owner against owner issue. Not sure how that is going to work out.

I may be in the minority but I'm not entirely convinced that deferred money is that big of an issue.

1. Anyone can structure contracts that way. The Dodgers may be in a unique position compared to other teams in the league where they have secure revenue streams they can count on in the future thanks to having their own TV deal and not having to worry about all the RSN mess, and thus be more willing to commit to more money down the road, but I think that advantage applies more generally to their ability to sign long-term deals than specially to deferred money.

2. The Luxury Tax salary does account for the deferred money - just at its "present value" ($1 now is worth more than $1 in the future do to the time-value of money - basically you could invest that $1 today and earn interest on it over time) based on how far out the $$ is being deferred. It is basically the AAV of the Present value of the total contract. In Ohtanis case, his $700M deal is basically work ~$460M, so his salary that counts against the Luxury Tax each year is $46M - which was still a record at the time he signed the deal. It's not as if the Dodgers are literally saving $68M of their payroll every year. (Related but I am not as confident on how this part works: I believe the Dodgers have to make payments into some sort of escrow account each year of his deal (during his actual 10 year deal not the deferred part) for the deferred money. I believe they can earn interest on those payments, which would be a benefit to the club, but like any financial investment it's not fool proof and still carries some risk).

Players/agents are fine with deferred money as (1) It allows them to get bigger guarantees - even if it's really just in name only (this is especially true for agents who get to brag about the big deals the secured for their clients even if the total.contract is not literally worth the amount reported), and (2) there is some value in having some source of income after your career is over

I probably got some stuff wrong, but I don't think deferred money is a huge problem facing the sport (it's certainly nothing new) - I think the Ohtani contract was just so lopsided/extreme in the deferred payments that it shocked a lot of folks so everyone assumed there was some funny business going on. He is really a unicorn where he can make up the $68M he is missing out on each year in endorsements/brand deals since he's such a huge star. Baseball doesn't really have another guy with a LeBron-esque marketablility where they would be able to make up that much value each year

[Feros Ferio 7]

Re: MLB The Show Franchise Mode Can't Handle the Dodgers (And Neither Can the MLB)

Teams benefit from deferred money in a contract in the form of the CBT (fake) accounting and in terms of interest earnings.

Now in the case of Ohtani who has $68 million deferred each season there is no immediate spending benefit outside of a decreased tax bill but spending the tax bill savings also increased the tax bill. So that "money" isn't a straight player cash proposition.

The reason for no immediate spending benefit is the the CBA requires the deferred salary to be placed into an escrow account that is checked periodically throughout the year. The Dodgers could in theory only have the amount of the deferred salaries in that account at the times it is checked but they can't have that money unavailable to be shown that they have it.

The teams can't take the deferred amount and spend that money on another player.


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[tessl]

Re: MLB The Show Franchise Mode Can't Handle the Dodgers (And Neither Can the MLB)

In my mlbs23 franchise I'm currently in June of 2026 and the Dodgers are one of the best teams in the game. They had the best record in the NL in 2025 and eliminated my Midwest Farmers in the 2025 NLCS and then lost to the Angels in the World Series. Currently on June 25 2026 the Dodgers have the best record in the NL at 52-29 and with Gallen and Fried at the top of their rotation they will be a force in the playoffs. They have a $40 million budget surplus.

[Kalkano]

Re: MLB The Show Franchise Mode Can't Handle the Dodgers (And Neither Can the MLB)

They treat the teams like businesses and want growing profits every year.

EVERY team treats it like a business...because it IS a business...


The reason they're called "big market" and "small market" teams, is because the big markets are literally that, with much more revenue flowing into their teams, because they have more invested fans. And with that revenue, they can spend more money to keep their teams popular, because losing is bad for business. Of course, this just ensures a perennial loop, with the best teams remaining at the top, with a few exceptions here and there.

[underdog13]

Re: MLB The Show Franchise Mode Can't Handle the Dodgers (And Neither Can the MLB)

My biggest issue is that these other leagues don't have as much parity as MLB does.

But is that really to do with the MLB specifically or the fact that baseball is a higher variance sport?

[MiracleMet718]

Re: MLB The Show Franchise Mode Can't Handle the Dodgers (And Neither Can the MLB)

Deferred money actually helps small market teams. Everyone made fun of the Bonilla contract being deferred and the Mets being “stupid” because people don’t seem to understand how money works.

Its really simple, the Dodgers expect to make more money over the years, specifically their owners having sports-based funds where they can invest the money they would give to Ohtani and make 50x that so when it’s time to pay him, they’ve made more money then they are paying.

It actually hurts players to get deferred money because any agreed upon interest is less than they’d make if they got paid up front and invested the money themselves.

So small market teams can pay deferred money and it actually benefits them to do so. However the small market owners are just cheap and don’t want to pay for players at all because keeping low payrolls and taking in the luxury tax money is a way for them to take in money without any risk.

[Feros Ferio 7]

MLB The Show Franchise Mode Can't Handle the Dodgers (And Neither Can the MLB)

Deferred money actually helps small market teams. Everyone made fun of the Bonilla contract being deferred and the Mets being “stupid” because people don’t seem to understand how money works.



Its really simple, the Dodgers expect to make more money over the years, specifically their owners having sports-based funds where they can invest the money they would give to Ohtani and make 50x that so when it’s time to pay him, they’ve made more money then they are paying.



It actually hurts players to get deferred money because any agreed upon interest is less than they’d make if they got paid up front and invested the money themselves.



So small market teams can pay deferred money and it actually benefits them to do so. However the small market owners are just cheap and don’t want to pay for players at all because keeping low payrolls and taking in the luxury tax money is a way for them to take in money without any risk.

This is an idiotic stance.

The Bonilla deal is and was stupid.

Bonilla did not and does not have a deferred salary.

For tips of you unfamiliar with how this works a deferred salary is when a player and team agree to pay a player his salary at a later date. If a player has a $10 million salary and defers 50% to be paid at that 50% over whatever time frame they agree to he's paid the $5 million. There really isn't much benefit for the player unless he's bad with keeping up with his money and wants payments later instead of now.

For the team there is a huge benefit of lower CBT payroll accounting plus gaining interest on said money sitting but the money can't be spent. So there's savings for the teams in multiple areas but the can't use that money for other expenditures.

Now specifically to Bonilla he did not have any deferred salaries in his contract. Going into his last season with the Mets they had a good team and wanted Bonilla and his salary gone. No team would take it so they were looking at releasing him which still meant they were to pay him. The team offered to not pay him so they could reallocate his salary to other players and in turn would give him payments with interest. Bonilla gave the team a loan and not a deferment. The rate they went to was astronomical as the owner was being scammed by Bernie Madoff at the time.

It was a colossal blunder at the time and even worse after the Madoff Scheme fell apart. But the Bonilla payment situation is in no way comparable to how MLB deferred salaries.


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[MiracleMet718]

Re: MLB The Show Franchise Mode Can't Handle the Dodgers (And Neither Can the MLB)

This is an idiotic stance.

The Bonilla deal is and was stupid.

Bonilla did not and does not have a deferred salary.

For tips of you unfamiliar with how this works a deferred salary is when a player and team agree to pay a player his salary at a later date. If a player has a $10 million salary and defers 50% to be paid at that 50% over whatever time frame they agree to he's paid the $5 million. There really isn't much benefit for the player unless he's bad with keeping up with his money and wants payments later instead of now.

For the team there is a huge benefit of lower CBT payroll accounting plus gaining interest on said money sitting but the money can't be spent. So there's savings for the teams in multiple areas but the can't use that money for other expenditures.

Now specifically to Bonilla he did not have any deferred salaries in his contract. Going into his last season with the Mets they had a good team and wanted Bonilla and his salary gone. No team would take it so they were looking at releasing him which still meant they were to pay him. The team offered to not pay him so they could reallocate his salary to other players and in turn would give him payments with interest. Bonilla gave the team a loan and not a deferment. The rate they went to was astronomical as the owner was being scammed by Bernie Madoff at the time.

It was a colossal blunder at the time and even worse after the Madoff Scheme fell apart. But the Bonilla payment situation is in no way comparable to how MLB deferred salaries.


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The situation is different, but the result was the same. They paid out the rest of his contract over time with some interest, which as you said was a higher interest rate than they should’ve. The idea itself wasn’t bad, it’s just that they used one of the biggest scam artists ever in Bernie Madoff to manage their money. If it was actually a legitimate investment advisor, they would’ve made way more than the ~$1m that was owed to Bonilla every year. That should’ve been nothing money for the amount the Wilpon’s were investing with him and the duration of the payout.

[Feros Ferio 7]

Re: MLB The Show Franchise Mode Can't Handle the Dodgers (And Neither Can the MLB)

The situation is different, but the result was the same. They paid out the rest of his contract over time with some interest, which as you said was a higher interest rate than they should’ve. The idea itself wasn’t bad, it’s just that they used one of the biggest scam artists ever in Bernie Madoff to manage their money. If it was actually a legitimate investment advisor, they would’ve made way more than the ~$1m that was owed to Bonilla every year. That should’ve been nothing money for the amount the Wilpon’s were investing with him and the duration of the payout.

The result isn't the same at all. Deferred salaries is an agreed upon amount that the player is willing to be paid later.

Bonilla did not have a deferred salary.


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[EmpireWF]

Re: MLB The Show Franchise Mode Can't Handle the Dodgers (And Neither Can the MLB)

This is an idiotic stance.

The Bonilla deal is and was stupid.

Bonilla did not and does not have a deferred salary.

For tips of you unfamiliar with how this works a deferred salary is when a player and team agree to pay a player his salary at a later date. If a player has a $10 million salary and defers 50% to be paid at that 50% over whatever time frame they agree to he's paid the $5 million. There really isn't much benefit for the player unless he's bad with keeping up with his money and wants payments later instead of now.

For the team there is a huge benefit of lower CBT payroll accounting plus gaining interest on said money sitting but the money can't be spent. So there's savings for the teams in multiple areas but the can't use that money for other expenditures.

Now specifically to Bonilla he did not have any deferred salaries in his contract. Going into his last season with the Mets they had a good team and wanted Bonilla and his salary gone. No team would take it so they were looking at releasing him which still meant they were to pay him. The team offered to not pay him so they could reallocate his salary to other players and in turn would give him payments with interest. Bonilla gave the team a loan and not a deferment. The rate they went to was astronomical as the owner was being scammed by Bernie Madoff at the time.

It was a colossal blunder at the time and even worse after the Madoff Scheme fell apart. But the Bonilla payment situation is in no way comparable to how MLB deferred salaries.


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Dumb for the Wilpons who were confident in a still not so public Ponzi scheme. For the Mets, it worked out pretty well. Freeing up Bonilla’s salary, they brought in Mike Hampton who was their #2 starter. Won two games in the NLCS en route to the World Series. When he left for Colorado in free agency, the comp pick the Mets received turned into David Wright who gave them All-Star production for the better part of 9 years.