Padres Getting Juan Soto

[EDGECRUSHER]

I know one of you guys is a Padres fan. So far being reported, it's:

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that the Padres are acquiring Juan Soto and Josh Bell from the Nationals for C.J. Abrams, Robert Hassell III, James Wood and Jarlin Susana.

I know nothing about those prospects but they have to be the Top 4 in the Padres system and some of the best in MLB, a guy like Juan Soto doesn't go for spare parts. I respect the Padres a lot for this move, like with Machado they have shown that they put winning above all else and that's the way it should be.

[ArtieChokePhin]

Stroke is the resident Padres fan here.   I'll bet he's as happy as a fly in a sugar pile right now.   The Padres chances of taking the NL pennant just got a whole lot better.

[Sunstroke]

I've spent the last 24 hours doing the happy dance over the Juan Soto and Josh Bell deal. I've actually been doing that dance for a couple of days now, since we traded for Milwaukee closer Josh Hader.  Padres are loading up for the playoffs.

[Sunstroke]

LET'S GO PADRES!!(clap, clap, clap-clap-clap)

[EDGECRUSHER]

Happy for the Padres, I will be cheering for them once the Yankees are eliminated. I like how they are spending money and making big trades, almost as if success on the field is more important than profits. A philosophy not shared in NY.

[Spider-Dan]

There are many valid reasons to criticize the New York Yankees, but I don't think "They refuse to spend enough money to win" is one of them.  The only two teams that spent more than NYY are NYM and LAD, both of whom have already been eliminated by the Padres... who spent less than NYY.

Offhand, I'd guess the Yankees have spent more money over the last decade than any other team in American sports, and I'd be shocked if it's even close.  (Maybe LAD?)

[EDGECRUSHER]

There are many valid reasons to criticize the New York Yankees, but I don't think "They refuse to spend enough money to win" is one of them.  The only two teams that spent more than NYY are NYM and LAD, both of whom have already been eliminated by the Padres... who spent less than NYY.

Offhand, I'd guess the Yankees have spent more money over the last decade than any other team in American sports, and I'd be shocked if it's even close.  (Maybe LAD?)

In comparison to their revenue, they have not and that's the big difference. I wouldn't expect the Brewers to have a $250 Million payroll because they have a much smaller market, but the Yankees revenue in 2019 was $683 Million, that was the last full season before Covid. I most certainly expect them to sign a Bryce Harper or Manny Machado with revenue like that, especially if it fits a desperate need.

Their "Payroll to Revenue" ratio in 2019 was 33% while the league average was 39%. In 2018, they ranked dead last in this category. The Yankees only pay $75 Million a year for the stadium until it's paid off, and that money is subtracted straight from their Revenue Sharing bill. It's just a business to Steinbrenner's sons, they would be thrilled with winning 40 games a year as long as the money kept rolling in and that's disgusting, especially since they inherited the team and haven't done anything to earn it.

Their Father was a dick, but no one can claim he didn't want to win above all else.

[Spider-Dan]

I don't like that metric, because your revenue is significantly affected by how competitive your team is.  A low-revenue team that isn't trying can be spending a bigger portion of their small revenue on a crappy team when compared to a high-revenue team that is fielding a playoff team every year.

Furthermore, the Yankees are arguably the most popular team in American sports and have enormous revenue.  Baseball is already lopsided enough when the Yankees are consistently one of the top spending teams in the sport, but you think they should actually be spending far more and absolutely obliterate every other team in payroll?  No thanks.

A system in which the Yankees are constrained to merely be a top-spending-in-dollars team, instead of also being a top-spending-in-percentage-of-revenue team, is a system that is working semi-decently.  NYY is not being "cheap" by fielding only the 3rd-largest payroll in the sport.

[EDGECRUSHER]

I'm fine with people not wanting the Yankees to spend $400 Million a year, I agree that would be quite lopsided. However, when you have only won 1 championship in 20 years and your payroll is "only" 3rd highest and you just lost in the ALCS to a better team, I absolutely expect you to spend money on a Harper or Machado along with other moves. That would be improving the team without making a mockery of MLB finances.

If they lose tonight or in the next round, they should be spending to get them over the hump, but they won't. I would be shocked if they even make a serious run at keeping Aaron Judge.

[Spider-Dan]

If you lose to a team with a lower payroll than you, I'm not sure your payroll is the problem.
Are NYM and LAD not spending enough because they lost to SD?

[EDGECRUSHER]

If you lose to a team with a lower payroll than you, I'm not sure your payroll is the problem.
Are NYM and LAD not spending enough because they lost to SD?

Didn't see this when I came to give the eulogy to the Padres and Yankees.

I think you're not spending enough when you have obvious holes on your roster that free agency can address and you choose to ignore them instead for profit. Yankees roster without Aaron Judge is not a playoff team, the whole season was a mirage. At the ASB, they were on pace for 110 wins, absolutely insane for this starting lineup. As it stands, they have holes at:

RF (Judge if they don't re-sign him)
CF
SS (they're waiting on their top prospects to take over but suffering in the mean time)
3B (Josh Donaldson sucks but has one more year on his deal)
Catcher (despite the All-Star nod, Trevino sucks)

Those are a hell of a lot of weak spots in the lineup for a team to have if they want to seriously contend. I do not expect them to get the best FA at each position, but to go into next season with only adding one decent FA is a crime.

As far as the Padres go, they had a great year. They did everything they should have and are lined up to repeat success next season. Sometimes you just run into a very hot team and things go bad.