How much money will DeWitt and company lose with 3-5 years of tanking?

Welcome to STLtoday.com's forum for fans of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Moderators: STLtoday Forum Moderators, Cards Talk Moderators

CCard
Forum User
Posts: 2206
Joined: 21 Aug 2024 08:39 am

Re: How much money will DeWitt and company lose with 3-5 years of tanking?

Post by CCard »

Ozziesfan41 wrote: 04 Jan 2026 13:02 pm
CCard wrote: 04 Jan 2026 12:42 pm I mean that's gotta be enough to at least up the payroll 30 million? Right? A competitive talent with actual top tier talent on the field draws close to 3 million. You got to figure at least a million or so if the team is pretty bad. That's probably a drop of nearly 2 million tickets per year. How much is a ticket now a days?
Here are prices for the May 19 , 2023 game against the Los Angeles Dodgers: Lowest price: $22 before fees for Section 431, Row 3 Pricey side: $1,026 before fees for Section 1, Row K Dugout box: $103 before fees for Section 132, Row C Fans looking for less expensive options can also wait for promotional periods. Cardinals tickets have been sold for as little as $6 this season.

So, if we just take the $22 tickets that's what about $40 million? Give or take? That's just ticket sales and that's the lowest except for promotional sales.

So, how much money are they throwing in the wind with their tanking? Why would they intentionally throw away money?
Less than when they were trying to win the past couple of seasons
You're laughable. You and your cohorts. At least they were trying to win. Now we get to watch them trying to lose.
CCard
Forum User
Posts: 2206
Joined: 21 Aug 2024 08:39 am

Re: How much money will DeWitt and company lose with 3-5 years of tanking?

Post by CCard »

45s wrote: 04 Jan 2026 12:55 pm
CCard wrote: 04 Jan 2026 12:42 pm I mean that's gotta be enough to at least up the payroll 30 million? Right? A competitive talent with actual top tier talent on the field draws close to 3 million. You got to figure at least a million or so if the team is pretty bad. That's probably a drop of nearly 2 million tickets per year. How much is a ticket now a days?
Here are prices for the May 19 , 2023 game against the Los Angeles Dodgers: Lowest price: $22 before fees for Section 431, Row 3 Pricey side: $1,026 before fees for Section 1, Row K Dugout box: $103 before fees for Section 132, Row C Fans looking for less expensive options can also wait for promotional periods. Cardinals tickets have been sold for as little as $6 this season.

So, if we just take the $22 tickets that's what about $40 million? Give or take? That's just ticket sales and that's the lowest except for promotional sales.

So, how much money are they throwing in the wind with their tanking? Why would they intentionally throw away money?
Reducing long term debt…aka expensive contracts….to make the club more marketable
I don't care what their reasoning is. I do care that they are actively tanking. Intentionally losing. That's just wrong.
hmoss859
Forum User
Posts: 872
Joined: 24 Mar 2025 23:30 pm

Re: How much money will DeWitt and company lose with 3-5 years of tanking?

Post by hmoss859 »

He wont lose one cent, he has drastically reduced expenses to offset the revenue loss.
Bubble4427
Forum User
Posts: 1195
Joined: 23 May 2024 13:18 pm

Re: How much money will DeWitt and company lose with 3-5 years of tanking?

Post by Bubble4427 »

hmoss859 wrote: 04 Jan 2026 22:42 pm He wont lose one cent, he has drastically reduced expenses to offset the revenue loss.
Sorry, but he hasn’t reduced expenses that much. Not even close.
He is drawing 1.2 million less and his 50 million dollar television contract is in the krapper. You don’t make up that type of revenue overnight, much less ever.
Dewitt is stripping the team down to the studs by unloading every expensive contract because he knows the labor situation will not be solved by opening day 2027. Until he knows what the framework of a new deal consists of…he will continue to keep his wallet closed.
If the new labor deal isn’t to his liking…he will sell the team with no long term contracts on the books. It’s how sports business works.
I would say odds are Less than 50/50 he still owns the team in 2028.
Ozziesfan41
Forum User
Posts: 8368
Joined: 23 May 2024 13:01 pm

Re: How much money will DeWitt and company lose with 3-5 years of tanking?

Post by Ozziesfan41 »

Bubble4427 wrote: 04 Jan 2026 23:30 pm
hmoss859 wrote: 04 Jan 2026 22:42 pm He wont lose one cent, he has drastically reduced expenses to offset the revenue loss.
Sorry, but he hasn’t reduced expenses that much. Not even close.
He is drawing 1.2 million less and his 50 million dollar television contract is in the krapper. You don’t make up that type of revenue overnight, much less ever.
Dewitt is stripping the team down to the studs by unloading every expensive contract because he knows the labor situation will not be solved by opening day 2027. Until he knows what the framework of a new deal consists of…he will continue to keep his wallet closed.
If the new labor deal isn’t to his liking…he will sell the team with no long term contracts on the books. It’s how sports business works.
I would say odds are Less than 50/50 he still owns the team in 2028.
I don’t know why people keep saying the wallet is closed. They sent 20 million to the redsox to get better prospects back in the gray trade then spent 12 million on basically a gamble in may so they saved what 3 million on gray? They sent more money to the red Sox for Contreras to get better prospects back and are going to spend even more money by the end of the offseason. So they got two big league ready starters back and one pitcher with a big arm for a guy who can’t pitch on the road or heat
Cardinals1964
Forum User
Posts: 1584
Joined: 12 May 2024 02:13 am
Location: St. Louis

Re: How much money will DeWitt and company lose with 3-5 years of tanking?

Post by Cardinals1964 »

Are the Cardinals even eligible for a top 10 lottery pick? I can’t remember. Rule is there to stop tanking. A rebuild could look like tanking. Use whatever word you want. Who cares. Rebuild, tweaking, sandbagging, tanking, who cares.
zuck698
Forum User
Posts: 839
Joined: 23 May 2024 18:44 pm

Re: How much money will DeWitt and company lose with 3-5 years of tanking?

Post by zuck698 »

Cardinals1964 wrote: 05 Jan 2026 00:43 am Are the Cardinals even eligible for a top 10 lottery pick? I can’t remember. Rule is there to stop tanking. A rebuild could look like tanking. Use whatever word you want. Who cares. Rebuild, tweaking, sandbagging, tanking, who cares.
Yes, the Cards are eligible next year. Pick 13 this year so they are eligible.
mattmitchl44
Forum User
Posts: 3395
Joined: 23 May 2024 15:33 pm

Re: How much money will DeWitt and company lose with 3-5 years of tanking?

Post by mattmitchl44 »

Revenue/attendance goes down during a rebuild, as does payroll/operating expenses. So who knows if they make more, less, or break even.
CCard
Forum User
Posts: 2206
Joined: 21 Aug 2024 08:39 am

Re: How much money will DeWitt and company lose with 3-5 years of tanking?

Post by CCard »

Ozziesfan41 wrote: 05 Jan 2026 00:20 am
Bubble4427 wrote: 04 Jan 2026 23:30 pm
hmoss859 wrote: 04 Jan 2026 22:42 pm He wont lose one cent, he has drastically reduced expenses to offset the revenue loss.
Sorry, but he hasn’t reduced expenses that much. Not even close.
He is drawing 1.2 million less and his 50 million dollar television contract is in the krapper. You don’t make up that type of revenue overnight, much less ever.
Dewitt is stripping the team down to the studs by unloading every expensive contract because he knows the labor situation will not be solved by opening day 2027. Until he knows what the framework of a new deal consists of…he will continue to keep his wallet closed.
If the new labor deal isn’t to his liking…he will sell the team with no long term contracts on the books. It’s how sports business works.
I would say odds are Less than 50/50 he still owns the team in 2028.
I don’t know why people keep saying the wallet is closed. They sent 20 million to the redsox to get better prospects back in the gray trade then spent 12 million on basically a gamble in may so they saved what 3 million on gray? They sent more money to the red Sox for Contreras to get better prospects back and are going to spend even more money by the end of the offseason. So they got two big league ready starters back and one pitcher with a big arm for a guy who can’t pitch on the road or heat
LOL...Big league ready starters. Put the pipe down. Neither pitcher is proven. Neither is the "Prospects" they got in the salary dump for Contreras. Just look at team payroll and that'll tell you why people say the wallet is closed.
CCard
Forum User
Posts: 2206
Joined: 21 Aug 2024 08:39 am

Re: How much money will DeWitt and company lose with 3-5 years of tanking?

Post by CCard »

Cardinals1964 wrote: 05 Jan 2026 00:43 am Are the Cardinals even eligible for a top 10 lottery pick? I can’t remember. Rule is there to stop tanking. A rebuild could look like tanking. Use whatever word you want. Who cares. Rebuild, tweaking, sandbagging, tanking, who cares.
When you plan on intentionally losing, that's the very definition of tanking.
rockondlouie
Forum User
Posts: 15528
Joined: 23 May 2024 12:41 pm

Re: How much money will DeWitt and company lose with 3-5 years of tanking?

Post by rockondlouie »

Bubble4427 wrote: 04 Jan 2026 23:30 pm
Dewitt is stripping the team down to the studs by unloading every expensive contract because he knows the labor situation will not be solved by opening day 2027. Until he knows what the framework of a new deal consists of…he will continue to keep his wallet closed.
+1
ecleme22
Forum User
Posts: 5144
Joined: 23 May 2024 21:17 pm

Re: How much money will DeWitt and company lose with 3-5 years of tanking?

Post by ecleme22 »

CCard wrote: 05 Jan 2026 07:21 am
Ozziesfan41 wrote: 05 Jan 2026 00:20 am
Bubble4427 wrote: 04 Jan 2026 23:30 pm
hmoss859 wrote: 04 Jan 2026 22:42 pm He wont lose one cent, he has drastically reduced expenses to offset the revenue loss.
Sorry, but he hasn’t reduced expenses that much. Not even close.
He is drawing 1.2 million less and his 50 million dollar television contract is in the krapper. You don’t make up that type of revenue overnight, much less ever.
Dewitt is stripping the team down to the studs by unloading every expensive contract because he knows the labor situation will not be solved by opening day 2027. Until he knows what the framework of a new deal consists of…he will continue to keep his wallet closed.
If the new labor deal isn’t to his liking…he will sell the team with no long term contracts on the books. It’s how sports business works.
I would say odds are Less than 50/50 he still owns the team in 2028.
I don’t know why people keep saying the wallet is closed. They sent 20 million to the redsox to get better prospects back in the gray trade then spent 12 million on basically a gamble in may so they saved what 3 million on gray? They sent more money to the red Sox for Contreras to get better prospects back and are going to spend even more money by the end of the offseason. So they got two big league ready starters back and one pitcher with a big arm for a guy who can’t pitch on the road or heat
LOL...Big league ready starters. Put the pipe down. Neither pitcher is proven. Neither is the "Prospects" they got in the salary dump for Contreras. Just look at team payroll and that'll tell you why people say the wallet is closed.
Contreras got us Dobbins, who would’ve led the 2025 cardinals in starter ERA, as well as the Sox #23 best prospect.
cardsrmyteam
Forum User
Posts: 2396
Joined: 07 Sep 2022 17:38 pm

Re: How much money will DeWitt and company lose with 3-5 years of tanking?

Post by cardsrmyteam »

CCard wrote: 04 Jan 2026 12:42 pm I mean that's gotta be enough to at least up the payroll 30 million? Right? A competitive talent with actual top tier talent on the field draws close to 3 million. You got to figure at least a million or so if the team is pretty bad. That's probably a drop of nearly 2 million tickets per year. How much is a ticket now a days?
Here are prices for the May 19 , 2023 game against the Los Angeles Dodgers: Lowest price: $22 before fees for Section 431, Row 3 Pricey side: $1,026 before fees for Section 1, Row K Dugout box: $103 before fees for Section 132, Row C Fans looking for less expensive options can also wait for promotional periods. Cardinals tickets have been sold for as little as $6 this season.

So, if we just take the $22 tickets that's what about $40 million? Give or take? That's just ticket sales and that's the lowest except for promotional sales.

So, how much money are they throwing in the wind with their tanking? Why would they intentionally throw away money?
Has the same answer as to how much money did DeWitt lose given he held onto Mo for so long?
Carp4Cy
Forum User
Posts: 3844
Joined: 23 May 2024 14:38 pm

Re: How much money will DeWitt and company lose with 3-5 years of tanking?

Post by Carp4Cy »

ecleme22 wrote: 05 Jan 2026 13:43 pm
CCard wrote: 05 Jan 2026 07:21 am
Ozziesfan41 wrote: 05 Jan 2026 00:20 am
Bubble4427 wrote: 04 Jan 2026 23:30 pm
hmoss859 wrote: 04 Jan 2026 22:42 pm He wont lose one cent, he has drastically reduced expenses to offset the revenue loss.
Sorry, but he hasn’t reduced expenses that much. Not even close.
He is drawing 1.2 million less and his 50 million dollar television contract is in the krapper. You don’t make up that type of revenue overnight, much less ever.
Dewitt is stripping the team down to the studs by unloading every expensive contract because he knows the labor situation will not be solved by opening day 2027. Until he knows what the framework of a new deal consists of…he will continue to keep his wallet closed.
If the new labor deal isn’t to his liking…he will sell the team with no long term contracts on the books. It’s how sports business works.
I would say odds are Less than 50/50 he still owns the team in 2028.
I don’t know why people keep saying the wallet is closed. They sent 20 million to the redsox to get better prospects back in the gray trade then spent 12 million on basically a gamble in may so they saved what 3 million on gray? They sent more money to the red Sox for Contreras to get better prospects back and are going to spend even more money by the end of the offseason. So they got two big league ready starters back and one pitcher with a big arm for a guy who can’t pitch on the road or heat
LOL...Big league ready starters. Put the pipe down. Neither pitcher is proven. Neither is the "Prospects" they got in the salary dump for Contreras. Just look at team payroll and that'll tell you why people say the wallet is closed.
Contreras got us Dobbins,
With Dobbins on the roster, why did Boston feel the need to trade for Oviedo?
ecleme22
Forum User
Posts: 5144
Joined: 23 May 2024 21:17 pm

Re: How much money will DeWitt and company lose with 3-5 years of tanking?

Post by ecleme22 »

Carp4Cy wrote: 05 Jan 2026 13:46 pm
ecleme22 wrote: 05 Jan 2026 13:43 pm
CCard wrote: 05 Jan 2026 07:21 am
Ozziesfan41 wrote: 05 Jan 2026 00:20 am
Bubble4427 wrote: 04 Jan 2026 23:30 pm
hmoss859 wrote: 04 Jan 2026 22:42 pm He wont lose one cent, he has drastically reduced expenses to offset the revenue loss.
Sorry, but he hasn’t reduced expenses that much. Not even close.
He is drawing 1.2 million less and his 50 million dollar television contract is in the krapper. You don’t make up that type of revenue overnight, much less ever.
Dewitt is stripping the team down to the studs by unloading every expensive contract because he knows the labor situation will not be solved by opening day 2027. Until he knows what the framework of a new deal consists of…he will continue to keep his wallet closed.
If the new labor deal isn’t to his liking…he will sell the team with no long term contracts on the books. It’s how sports business works.
I would say odds are Less than 50/50 he still owns the team in 2028.
I don’t know why people keep saying the wallet is closed. They sent 20 million to the redsox to get better prospects back in the gray trade then spent 12 million on basically a gamble in may so they saved what 3 million on gray? They sent more money to the red Sox for Contreras to get better prospects back and are going to spend even more money by the end of the offseason. So they got two big league ready starters back and one pitcher with a big arm for a guy who can’t pitch on the road or heat
LOL...Big league ready starters. Put the pipe down. Neither pitcher is proven. Neither is the "Prospects" they got in the salary dump for Contreras. Just look at team payroll and that'll tell you why people say the wallet is closed.
Contreras got us Dobbins,
With Dobbins on the roster, why did Boston feel the need to trade for Oviedo?
Well maybe acquiring Oviedo had more to do with trading Fitts and letting May walk.
Cardinals1964
Forum User
Posts: 1584
Joined: 12 May 2024 02:13 am
Location: St. Louis

Re: How much money will DeWitt and company lose with 3-5 years of tanking?

Post by Cardinals1964 »

CCard wrote: 05 Jan 2026 07:22 am
Cardinals1964 wrote: 05 Jan 2026 00:43 am Are the Cardinals even eligible for a top 10 lottery pick? I can’t remember. Rule is there to stop tanking. A rebuild could look like tanking. Use whatever word you want. Who cares. Rebuild, tweaking, sandbagging, tanking, who cares.
When you plan on intentionally losing, that's the very definition of tanking.
They won’t intentionally lose.