Why can’t/won’t BDW spend on payroll?

[Goldfan]

If Arenado, Gray, and WC are traded and with Miles rolling off there is no one remaining making big money.
So what’s the reason?
CBA negotiations?
Destroyed Revenue Stream?
Greedy?
An entity doesn’t just go from having a payroll level with intention of competing then all of a sudden cutting it in half.
This rebuilding venture is just an excuse NOT to take on salaries. With the proper FA signings this offseason and with the talent here this club could compete. And the payroll would be back to normal level from years past.
Filling a complete starting squad internally is a pipe dream. At some point top outside talent will need to be brought in. No reason this can’t happen in ‘26 except for BDW pockets

[WLTFE]

Here we go...you know the front office (donkey) kissers will have to respond!

[ForumPolice]

CBA negotiations?
Destroyed Revenue Stream?
Greedy?

There you go

[45s]

It gives credence to the proposition that the club will be on the market.

Less committed expense/debt enhances the value.

[Goldfan]

It gives credence to the proposition that the club will be on the market.

Less committed expense/debt enhances the value.

Equates to much less revenue as well. Divest payroll to league minimum……lose almost entire fanabase/empty stadium….this makes franchise more marketable??

[45s]

It gives credence to the proposition that the club will be on the market.

Less committed expense/debt enhances the value.

Equates to much less revenue as well. Divest payroll to league minimum……lose almost entire fanabase/empty stadium….this makes franchise more marketable??

As with any business…..acquire cheap and then develop growth and profits.

It’s not what the revenue is…it’s what the revenue can be.

[ScotchMIrish]

Poor tv deal. Poor attendance.

This was predictable when the Sinclair deal didn't work out.

[Clubmaker2]

No way BD3 is too poor. And he needs to just sell cause any owner can play the I am too poor card. He brings absolutely nothing to the table but his love of Mo as POBO.

if the league give out 200 mil per team in shared revenue as they did couple years back and it is on average 52 percent of team revenue, then the cards likely were making roughly 385 mil revenue. And then Bill has ball park village and real estate in his pocket profits also which is what the center of the amusement park is for. . Also the team value at maybe 2.5 billion...can have a partial sell to raise money if needed. If this operation didnt make bill significant money, would think he would dump it in a hear beat for the 2 billion plus. Who wouldn't. he doesnt press to win titles.

[Youboughtit]

2022 payroll was $178m and Forbes projected a $48m profit. 2025 payroll $128m and Forbes prices a $2m profit. Historically I’m St. Louis the more the owner has spent the more profit has been made. Spending must be done to generate a profit. Like all businesses

[Bushiro]

It gives credence to the proposition that the club will be on the market.

Less committed expense/debt enhances the value.

I think it's a strong possibility

[bluetunehead]

It gives credence to the proposition that the club will be on the market.

Less committed expense/debt enhances the value.

Equates to much less revenue as well. Divest payroll to league minimum……lose almost entire fanabase/empty stadium….this makes franchise more marketable??

As with any business…..acquire cheap and then develop growth and profits.

It’s not what the revenue is…it’s what the revenue can be.

No owner in this day and age purposely tanks the value before selling. That line of thinking can’t work both ways.

[Clubmaker2]

over the years there has been reporting that sometimes talked about sports teams for sale making sure they didnt have some big hindering contracts that restricted new ownership from doing whatever they would like to do with the team. Cards seem past that point since Gray runs out in a year anyway etc.

[HorseTrader]

I think a big part of this is the CBA. Should it be a part of the equation? I think so but if you don't that's ok. See if I was running a big or small business and something like the CBA was coming up, I'd be a little more conservative. Some would say that's the perfect time to go big, well that might work but it fails......... well it won't be pretty.

[rockondlouie]

CBA

It's now clear to me this "runway-rebuild" ruse was cooked up after the 2023 season by Dewitt knowing the CBA expiration after 2026 was going to (possibly) lead to a lockout.

Dewitt then put in place a MASSIVE payroll reduction plan, one that's seen his payroll fall from $178,449,072 in 2023 to possibly
under $90M in 2026 if he can shed the bulk of both S. Gray & NADO's salaries.

It appears to me that Dewitt wanted to go into the (potential) lockout w/as little payroll on the books as possible.

The "runway/re-build" gave him the ruse he needed to pull it off.

Thus why he didn't spend this season and won't again in 2026.

Perhaps after seeing his attendance fall under 2M in 2026 (unless C. Bloom pulls off a miracle roster rebuild that leads to a contending team) and his franchise value falls from $2.6B to (say) $2.3B, then and only then will he spend again.

JMO

[ClassicO]

2022 payroll was $178m and Forbes projected a $48m profit. 2025 payroll $128m and Forbes prices a $2m profit. Historically I’m St. Louis the more the owner has spent the more profit has been made. Spending must be done to generate a profit. Like all businesses

100%. Obviously, it has to be smart spending - and far beyond MLB roster payroll (i.e., player development, free agents).
But any business has to spend money (smartly) to make money.

[Goldfan]

CBA

It's now clear to me this "runway-rebuild" ruse was cooked up after the 2023 season by Dewitt knowing the CBA expiration after 2026 was going to (possibly) lead to a lockout.

Dewitt then put in place a MASSIVE payroll reduction plan, one that's seen his payroll fall from $178,449,072 in 2023 to possibly
under $90M in 2026 if he can shed the bulk of both S. Gray & NADO's salaries.

It appears to me that Dewitt wanted to go into the (potential) lockout w/as little payroll on the books as possible.

The "runway/re-build" gave him the ruse he needed to pull it off.

Thus why he didn't spend this season and won't again in 2026.

Perhaps after seeing his attendance fall under 2M in 2026 (unless C. Bloom pulls off a miracle roster rebuild that leads to a contending team) and his franchise value falls from $2.6B to (say) $2.3B, then and only then will he spend again.

JMO

I’m with you Rock, but if there’s a lockout no one gets paid. Perhaps his hope or he knows(because he’s in the inner circles) a huge change will occur in the MLB salary structure and he figured he’d throw in the towel early and save as much as he could leading up to this. This is the only logical answer for the apathy, lethargy, stupidity we’ve witnessed the last few seasons.