Page 1 of 5
The solution to tanking?
Posted: 18 Feb 2026 22:47 pm
by CCard
Stan Van Gundy: “I’d get rid of the draft. No draft. You still have the salary cap, if you want to go give Cooper Flagg $45 million a year coming out of college, do it, he’s a free agent. Everybody coming out is a free agent. With no draft, there’s no incentive to lose, there’s none at all.”
This is from an NBA point of view of course, but could it work in baseball? It certainly would alleviate the problem of the Dodgers and Yankees buying up all the talent. They system that's been in place forever is more akin to wage slavery than it is to free agency. Many players never get a chance to cash in on their talents because of it. Imagine taking all that time in the minor leagues, then getting to the majors and being injured in your first couple of seasons. I know there will be the argument that they have to learn their craft and that the minors is basically stacking up talent to be called up on a whim, but it's also screwing minor league players too. You could alleviate that by having a regular roster and a backup roster that could be accessed to at will on an as needed basis. I'm sure it would take a lot to work out the details and there would have to be no way around the salary cap, but there would be something in it for the players in that they wouldn't necessarily be stuck in the minors by teams that are unwilling or don't have a spot for them. The players would most likely come out better even with a salary cap. More players would make more money while younger. It would have to be a hard cap though with know loopholes or deferred money involved.
Re: The solution to tanking?
Posted: 18 Feb 2026 23:14 pm
by Ozziesfan41
I’ve read some dumb ideas in my day but tnat has to be the dumbest. Most players don’t even make it to the majors even
The top number one draft picks now you want to do away with the draft and teams sign them for 40 million dollars and they wash out without? The quality of play in the big leagues is already low it would completely tank. I thought manfreds ideas were bad but that is leagues worse than any idea he ever thought of
Re: The solution to tanking?
Posted: 18 Feb 2026 23:37 pm
by JuanAgosto
Eliminating the draft in the NBA is an interesting idea. Give teams equal cap space and you may get a somewhere close to parity. It would eliminate tanking and sitting stars. For it to work, they will need a cap floor and ceiling. Don't allow guys to sign below market deals with marque teams in an attempt to create super teams. That concept has ruined the NBA.
Re: The solution to tanking?
Posted: 19 Feb 2026 03:43 am
by Cardinals1964
Ozziesfan41 wrote: ↑18 Feb 2026 23:14 pm
I’ve read some dumb ideas in my day but tnat has to be the dumbest. Most players don’t even make it to the majors even
The top number one draft picks now you want to do away with the draft and teams sign them for 40 million dollars and they wash out without? The quality of play in the big leagues is already low it would completely tank. I thought manfreds ideas were bad but that is leagues worse than any idea he ever thought of
Then in the next post let’s cry about wanting a salary cap.
Re: The solution to tanking?
Posted: 19 Feb 2026 05:24 am
by Jeff Goldblum
Once again, tanking in baseball isn't a thing. MLB draft is completely different from the other 3 sports.
Re: The solution to tanking?
Posted: 19 Feb 2026 05:41 am
by CCard
Ozziesfan41 wrote: ↑18 Feb 2026 23:14 pm
I’ve read some dumb ideas in my day but tnat has to be the dumbest. Most players don’t even make it to the majors even
The top number one draft picks now you want to do away with the draft and teams sign them for 40 million dollars and they wash out without? The quality of play in the big leagues is already low it would completely tank. I thought manfreds ideas were bad but that is leagues worse than any idea he ever thought of
LOL....Just like clockwork. Keep the faith Ozzie.
Re: The solution to tanking?
Posted: 19 Feb 2026 05:45 am
by CCard
Jeff Goldblum wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 05:24 am
Once again, tanking in baseball isn't a thing. MLB draft is completely different from the other 3 sports.
Once again, it's the same thing. Tanking is the deliberate losing that some teams do for various reasons but mostly because they're cheap. You might be the only person in the world to say that tanking isn't a thing in baseball. Check google or the internet anywhere that baseball is a topic and you'll find out how wrong you are.

Re: The solution to tanking?
Posted: 19 Feb 2026 05:51 am
by Stlcardsblues
CCard wrote: ↑18 Feb 2026 22:47 pm
Stan Van Gundy: “I’d get rid of the draft. No draft. You still have the salary cap, if you want to go give Cooper Flagg $45 million a year coming out of college, do it, he’s a free agent. Everybody coming out is a free agent. With no draft, there’s no incentive to lose, there’s none at all.”
This is from an NBA point of view of course, but could it work in baseball? It certainly would alleviate the problem of the Dodgers and Yankees buying up all the talent. They system that's been in place forever is more akin to wage slavery than it is to free agency. Many players never get a chance to cash in on their talents because of it. Imagine taking all that time in the minor leagues, then getting to the majors and being injured in your first couple of seasons. I know there will be the argument that they have to learn their craft and that the minors is basically stacking up talent to be called up on a whim, but it's also screwing minor league players too. You could alleviate that by having a regular roster and a backup roster that could be accessed to at will on an as needed basis. I'm sure it would take a lot to work out the details and there would have to be no way around the salary cap, but there would be something in it for the players in that they wouldn't necessarily be stuck in the minors by teams that are unwilling or don't have a spot for them. The players would most likely come out better even with a salary cap. More players would make more money while younger. It would have to be a hard cap though with know loopholes or deferred money involved.
My solution should be a cap of $240 million, floor of $150 million. I would also add a clause that if a team fails to make the playoffs five straight years, MLB takes the club over to force a sale. The previous owner gets the proceeds but has no control over the sale.
The only exceptions would be for expansion teams or a team who was impacted by tragedy (such as the KHL hockey team who lost almost their entire team in a plane crash).
Re: The solution to tanking?
Posted: 19 Feb 2026 06:03 am
by alw80
A start would be teams releasing their actual revenue figures. After that fan revolts might force some of these deadbeats to finally start spending money.
Re: The solution to tanking?
Posted: 19 Feb 2026 06:04 am
by alw80
Stlcardsblues wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 05:51 am
CCard wrote: ↑18 Feb 2026 22:47 pm
Stan Van Gundy: “I’d get rid of the draft. No draft. You still have the salary cap, if you want to go give Cooper Flagg $45 million a year coming out of college, do it, he’s a free agent. Everybody coming out is a free agent. With no draft, there’s no incentive to lose, there’s none at all.”
This is from an NBA point of view of course, but could it work in baseball? It certainly would alleviate the problem of the Dodgers and Yankees buying up all the talent. They system that's been in place forever is more akin to wage slavery than it is to free agency. Many players never get a chance to cash in on their talents because of it. Imagine taking all that time in the minor leagues, then getting to the majors and being injured in your first couple of seasons. I know there will be the argument that they have to learn their craft and that the minors is basically stacking up talent to be called up on a whim, but it's also screwing minor league players too. You could alleviate that by having a regular roster and a backup roster that could be accessed to at will on an as needed basis. I'm sure it would take a lot to work out the details and there would have to be no way around the salary cap, but there would be something in it for the players in that they wouldn't necessarily be stuck in the minors by teams that are unwilling or don't have a spot for them. The players would most likely come out better even with a salary cap. More players would make more money while younger. It would have to be a hard cap though with know loopholes or deferred money involved.
My solution should be a cap of $240 million, floor of $150 million. I would also add a clause that if a team fails to make the playoffs five straight years, MLB takes the club over to force a sale. The previous owner gets the proceeds but has no control over the sale.
The only exceptions would be for expansion teams or a team who was impacted by tragedy (such as the KHL hockey team who lost almost their entire team in a plane crash).
The NBA has a cap and floor and multiple teams still tank.
Re: The solution to tanking?
Posted: 19 Feb 2026 06:08 am
by sikeston bulldog2
alw80 wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 06:04 am
Stlcardsblues wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 05:51 am
CCard wrote: ↑18 Feb 2026 22:47 pm
Stan Van Gundy: “I’d get rid of the draft. No draft. You still have the salary cap, if you want to go give Cooper Flagg $45 million a year coming out of college, do it, he’s a free agent. Everybody coming out is a free agent. With no draft, there’s no incentive to lose, there’s none at all.”
This is from an NBA point of view of course, but could it work in baseball? It certainly would alleviate the problem of the Dodgers and Yankees buying up all the talent. They system that's been in place forever is more akin to wage slavery than it is to free agency. Many players never get a chance to cash in on their talents because of it. Imagine taking all that time in the minor leagues, then getting to the majors and being injured in your first couple of seasons. I know there will be the argument that they have to learn their craft and that the minors is basically stacking up talent to be called up on a whim, but it's also screwing minor league players too. You could alleviate that by having a regular roster and a backup roster that could be accessed to at will on an as needed basis. I'm sure it would take a lot to work out the details and there would have to be no way around the salary cap, but there would be something in it for the players in that they wouldn't necessarily be stuck in the minors by teams that are unwilling or don't have a spot for them. The players would most likely come out better even with a salary cap. More players would make more money while younger. It would have to be a hard cap though with know loopholes or deferred money involved.
My solution should be a cap of $240 million, floor of $150 million. I would also add a clause that if a team fails to make the playoffs five straight years, MLB takes the club over to force a sale. The previous owner gets the proceeds but has no control over the sale.
The only exceptions would be for expansion teams or a team who was impacted by tragedy (such as the KHL hockey team who lost almost their entire team in a plane crash).
The NBA has a cap and floor and multiple teams still tank.
At some point in these debates, it must be acknowledged that tanking is a model.
Re: The solution to tanking?
Posted: 19 Feb 2026 06:11 am
by alw80
sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 06:08 am
alw80 wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 06:04 am
Stlcardsblues wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 05:51 am
CCard wrote: ↑18 Feb 2026 22:47 pm
Stan Van Gundy: “I’d get rid of the draft. No draft. You still have the salary cap, if you want to go give Cooper Flagg $45 million a year coming out of college, do it, he’s a free agent. Everybody coming out is a free agent. With no draft, there’s no incentive to lose, there’s none at all.”
This is from an NBA point of view of course, but could it work in baseball? It certainly would alleviate the problem of the Dodgers and Yankees buying up all the talent. They system that's been in place forever is more akin to wage slavery than it is to free agency. Many players never get a chance to cash in on their talents because of it. Imagine taking all that time in the minor leagues, then getting to the majors and being injured in your first couple of seasons. I know there will be the argument that they have to learn their craft and that the minors is basically stacking up talent to be called up on a whim, but it's also screwing minor league players too. You could alleviate that by having a regular roster and a backup roster that could be accessed to at will on an as needed basis. I'm sure it would take a lot to work out the details and there would have to be no way around the salary cap, but there would be something in it for the players in that they wouldn't necessarily be stuck in the minors by teams that are unwilling or don't have a spot for them. The players would most likely come out better even with a salary cap. More players would make more money while younger. It would have to be a hard cap though with know loopholes or deferred money involved.
My solution should be a cap of $240 million, floor of $150 million. I would also add a clause that if a team fails to make the playoffs five straight years, MLB takes the club over to force a sale. The previous owner gets the proceeds but has no control over the sale.
The only exceptions would be for expansion teams or a team who was impacted by tragedy (such as the KHL hockey team who lost almost their entire team in a plane crash).
The NBA has a cap and floor and multiple teams still tank.
At some point in these debates, it must be acknowledged that tanking is a model.
It is and can be an effective one too. Look at OKC or the Cubs or Astros.
Re: The solution to tanking?
Posted: 19 Feb 2026 06:14 am
by sikeston bulldog2
alw80 wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 06:11 am
sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 06:08 am
alw80 wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 06:04 am
Stlcardsblues wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 05:51 am
CCard wrote: ↑18 Feb 2026 22:47 pm
Stan Van Gundy: “I’d get rid of the draft. No draft. You still have the salary cap, if you want to go give Cooper Flagg $45 million a year coming out of college, do it, he’s a free agent. Everybody coming out is a free agent. With no draft, there’s no incentive to lose, there’s none at all.”
This is from an NBA point of view of course, but could it work in baseball? It certainly would alleviate the problem of the Dodgers and Yankees buying up all the talent. They system that's been in place forever is more akin to wage slavery than it is to free agency. Many players never get a chance to cash in on their talents because of it. Imagine taking all that time in the minor leagues, then getting to the majors and being injured in your first couple of seasons. I know there will be the argument that they have to learn their craft and that the minors is basically stacking up talent to be called up on a whim, but it's also screwing minor league players too. You could alleviate that by having a regular roster and a backup roster that could be accessed to at will on an as needed basis. I'm sure it would take a lot to work out the details and there would have to be no way around the salary cap, but there would be something in it for the players in that they wouldn't necessarily be stuck in the minors by teams that are unwilling or don't have a spot for them. The players would most likely come out better even with a salary cap. More players would make more money while younger. It would have to be a hard cap though with know loopholes or deferred money involved.
My solution should be a cap of $240 million, floor of $150 million. I would also add a clause that if a team fails to make the playoffs five straight years, MLB takes the club over to force a sale. The previous owner gets the proceeds but has no control over the sale.
The only exceptions would be for expansion teams or a team who was impacted by tragedy (such as the KHL hockey team who lost almost their entire team in a plane crash).
The NBA has a cap and floor and multiple teams still tank.
At some point in these debates, it must be acknowledged that tanking is a model.
It is and can be an effective one too. Look at OKC or the Cubs or Astros.
Thanx. Therefore it sits at the same table as the bigger boy models.
Re: The solution to tanking?
Posted: 19 Feb 2026 06:22 am
by ecleme22
CCard wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 05:45 am
Jeff Goldblum wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 05:24 am
Once again, tanking in baseball isn't a thing. MLB draft is completely different from the other 3 sports.
Once again, it's the same thing. Tanking is the deliberate losing that some teams do for various reasons but mostly because they're cheap. You might be the only person in the world to say that tanking isn't a thing in baseball. Check google or the internet anywhere that baseball is a topic and you'll find out how wrong you are.
Tanking usually implies a better draft slot. The NBA is notorious for it. NFL to a lesser extent.
Re: The solution to tanking?
Posted: 19 Feb 2026 06:24 am
by sikeston bulldog2
ecleme22 wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 06:22 am
CCard wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 05:45 am
Jeff Goldblum wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 05:24 am
Once again, tanking in baseball isn't a thing. MLB draft is completely different from the other 3 sports.
Once again, it's the same thing. Tanking is the deliberate losing that some teams do for various reasons but mostly because they're cheap. You might be the only person in the world to say that tanking isn't a thing in baseball. Check google or the internet anywhere that baseball is a topic and you'll find out how wrong you are.
Tanking usually implies a better draft slot. The NBA is notorious for it. NFL to a lesser extent.
Would that imply then a better athlete or just a better chance for an elite athlete.
Re: The solution to tanking?
Posted: 19 Feb 2026 06:38 am
by Jeff Goldblum
ecleme22 wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 06:22 am
CCard wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 05:45 am
Jeff Goldblum wrote: ↑19 Feb 2026 05:24 am
Once again, tanking in baseball isn't a thing. MLB draft is completely different from the other 3 sports.
Once again, it's the same thing. Tanking is the deliberate losing that some teams do for various reasons but mostly because they're cheap. You might be the only person in the world to say that tanking isn't a thing in baseball. Check google or the internet anywhere that baseball is a topic and you'll find out how wrong you are.
Tanking usually implies a better draft slot. The NBA is notorious for it. NFL to a lesser extent.
Thank you. Its like trying to explain something to a brick wall.