Will BDW reinvest any of the savings or just keep it this year?

[CardsBest]

Any money savings they might have they should consider extending or reworking contracts front loading them for players on the roster. Maybe Winn, Burly, or Herrera.is they extend them now and front loading it could work out well in future years or they could trade them at some point with reasonable contracts.

[Carp4Cy]

He has said that the 2026 payroll will be similar to 2025.

Roster payroll or how much they shell out for players who aren't here anymore? Because the latter is just a numbers shell game and not actually keeping payroll the same for the product on the field. If its the former, then there's a lot of spending Bloom needs to do, and I'd love to seem some of that happen ahead of dumping salary rather than only after it...

Any FA's we can take off the market makes those players unavailable for our other trading partners and makes our remaining trade chips a little more valuable.

BDW and his partners don’t owe us anything. And we don’t owe them anything. This ain’t the Packers. We are not “owners”.

disagree. BDW doesn't just own a random business in a vacuum. He owns a franchise, and franchises have rules. Competition being one in this case. If the other owners decided he won't field a minimumly competitive team, he could be forced to sell. So there is that duty to the league.

Under stakeholder theory there is also a duty to the fans. He may not recognize it, but there it is. In the mean time, the fans will (buzz) and moan about Bill, which is our right.

[BrockFloodMaris]

He has said that the 2026 payroll will be similar to 2025.

Roster payroll or how much they shell out for players who aren't here anymore? Because the latter is just a numbers shell game and not actually keeping payroll the same for the product on the field. If its the former, then there's a lot of spending Bloom needs to do, and I'd love to seem some of that happen ahead of dumping salary rather than only after it...

Any FA's we can take off the market makes those players unavailable for our other trading partners and makes our remaining trade chips a little more valuable.

BDW and his partners don’t owe us anything. And we don’t owe them anything. This ain’t the Packers. We are not “owners”.

disagree. BDW doesn't just own a random business in a vacuum. He owns a franchise, and franchises have rules. Competition being one in this case. If the other owners decided he won't field a minimumly competitive team, he could be forced to sell. So there is that duty to the league.

Under stakeholder theory there is also a duty to the fans. He may not recognize it, but there it is. In the mean time, the fans will (A female canine animal, especially a dog) and moan about Bill, which is our right.

Knock yourself out. I’m going to enjoy the view of this team without Mo at the helm.

[ScotchMIrish]

I'd like to see them open the books so we can see exactly what the financials look like.

So far as payroll is concerned, it is none of our business what their financials look like. Now, if they come and ask for public funding for stadium upgrades, that's another matter.

St. Louis Cardinals owners plan to ask taxpayers to fund Busch Stadium renovations

[ScotchMIrish]

I'd like to see them open the books so we can see exactly what the financials look like.

Not at all meaning to be snarky, but what would you do with it? I am in no way a finance guy, so unless I could see similar data for the other teams in order to compare it wouldn’t tell me much. And even then I’m not sure what it would indicate.

Thank you.

I would read it. MLB has reported its teams collectively lost $1.8 billion.

You're welcome.

[WeeVikes]

I'd like to see them open the books so we can see exactly what the financials look like.

Not at all meaning to be snarky, but what would you do with it? I am in no way a finance guy, so unless I could see similar data for the other teams in order to compare it wouldn’t tell me much. And even then I’m not sure what it would indicate.

Thank you.

I would read it. MLB has reported its teams collectively lost $1.8 billion.

You're welcome.

You’re a good guy, Scotch.

[ScotchMIrish]

I'd like to see them open the books so we can see exactly what the financials look like.

Not at all meaning to be snarky, but what would you do with it? I am in no way a finance guy, so unless I could see similar data for the other teams in order to compare it wouldn’t tell me much. And even then I’m not sure what it would indicate.

Thank you.

I would read it. MLB has reported its teams collectively lost $1.8 billion.

You're welcome.

You’re a good guy, Scotch.

Thanks. You too.

[Youboughtit]

Profit is and always will be first and foremost in the minds of this ownership group.

They expect attendance to go down, they expect less television viewership, and they know their revenue will not be as high as 4-5 years ago.

But their profits will remain and could possibly increase.

I don’t expect them to spend much of the payroll savings from their trades.

And just because they save $ 50 million in payroll this year doesn’t mean (to ownership) that they’re going to reinvest that $50 million later.

“Dry powder” was nothing but Mozeliak-speak for “We’re going to pocket that money”.

+1

That’s exactly why spending should be their #1 priority. It has been proven fans will not attend without elite superstars in their prime. For best had 2022 a 178m payroll and a $48m profit. This season $128m payroll and $2m profit, the more they spend on payroll the more profit they will receive

Unless or until the MLB owners open their books, IMO the “profit” quotes are guesses.
If you believe that 2025’s profit was only $ 2 million ok.

I don’t and they will make plenty this year with a lower payroll than 2025.

If there truly was a direct correlation between payroll and profit, you can be sure this ownership group would spend more.

I don’t think so. I think they base this years spending a last years expenses. Small market mentality. So in that case they will never let the 2-4 years of losses with a $200m payroll to bring fans back over long term happen. They will have to spend to earn fans trust back. I don’t see it happening

[Carp4Cy]

I'd like to see them open the books so we can see exactly what the financials look like.

Not at all meaning to be snarky, but what would you do with it? I am in no way a finance guy, so unless I could see similar data for the other teams in order to compare it wouldn’t tell me much. And even then I’m not sure what it would indicate.

Thank you.

I would read it. MLB has reported its teams collectively lost $1.8 billion.

You're welcome.

paper losses...

We own a Canandian company thats split between an Operating company and a holding company. The operating company pays rent and management fees to the holding company so it can show a loss and/or not accumulate assets that can be garnished in a lawsuit, while the holding company makes plenty of profit. I'm sure baseball owners are doing just fine on their total bottom line, even if the "company" that holds the team shows a loss on paper.

[zuck698]

I'd like to see them open the books so we can see exactly what the financials look like.

Not at all meaning to be snarky, but what would you do with it? I am in no way a finance guy, so unless I could see similar data for the other teams in order to compare it wouldn’t tell me much. And even then I’m not sure what it would indicate.

Thank you.

I would read it. MLB has reported its teams collectively lost $1.8 billion.

You're welcome.

paper losses...

We own a Canandian company thats split between an Operating company and a holding company. The operating company pays rent and management fees to the holding company so it can show a loss and/or not accumulate assets that can be garnished in a lawsuit, while the holding company makes plenty of profit. I'm sure baseball owners are doing just fine on their total bottom line, even if the "company" that holds the team shows a loss on paper.

Yes, many companies do this. It is called Accounting Gymnastics. I don't think we will see poor old Bill at the soup line anytime soon.

[ICCFIM2]

I'd like to see them open the books so we can see exactly what the financials look like.

Not at all meaning to be snarky, but what would you do with it? I am in no way a finance guy, so unless I could see similar data for the other teams in order to compare it wouldn’t tell me much. And even then I’m not sure what it would indicate.

Thank you.

I would read it. MLB has reported its teams collectively lost $1.8 billion.

You're welcome.

paper losses...

We own a Canandian company thats split between an Operating company and a holding company. The operating company pays rent and management fees to the holding company so it can show a loss and/or not accumulate assets that can be garnished in a lawsuit, while the holding company makes plenty of profit. I'm sure baseball owners are doing just fine on their total bottom line, even if the "company" that holds the team shows a loss on paper.

There is one publicly traded team in MLB, the Braves. Here is their Form 10-K for 2024, the latest reporting year. https://www.bravesholdings.com/investor ... 002009.pdf

Since this is a publicly traded company, they can't split it up like your Canadian company to hide stuff. It all has to be in here. They are showing a lost of $31M on $660M of revenue. The stadium ownership is in the financials and the depreciation / amortization expense of $62M appears to be hard assets and not acquired goodwill. In other words, the loss of $31M is real. Who knows what the Cards financial statements look like. But, most folks are going to have a hard time reading this and understanding it.
Yes, many companies do this. It is called Accounting Gymnastics. I don't think we will see poor old Bill at the soup line anytime soon.