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Trying to envision a solution for MLB.

Two conferences--one with a hard salary cap and floor. Full revenue sharing. NFL model.
If available probably 2/3rds of current teams would join.

Second conference would be the elites--LA, Boston, Yankees, Mets, Toronto, etc.
No cap, no revenue sharing.

Common draft, no interconference play. World Series between conference champions.

Opti

opti mist wrote: ↑22 Feb 2026 06:13 am Trying to envision a solution for MLB.

Two conferences--one with a hard salary cap and floor. Full revenue sharing. NFL model.
If available probably 2/3rds of current teams would join.

Second conference would be the elites--LA, Boston, Yankees, Mets, Toronto, etc.
No cap, no revenue sharing.

Common draft, no interconference play. World Series between conference champions.

Opti

Ok, but there’s only one players’ union, so presumably only one CBA. How do you get them to swallow cap and floor for some, but not all?

This resembles the European soccer league and relegation. Under your model, what happens if and when a super team becomes mortal. Do they move down. Or a dynasty team in the regular conference, do they move into the super power conference.

So the Pirates, Cards entire central becomes a minor league. That's how it will be see and treated. Very good players will move to your super league which will be seen as the Major League Baseball. The rest will be viewed as minor league teams.

Total revenue sharing with some sort of floor and ceiling is in my mind the only real solution. First problem is solving the broadcast situation in a long term manner.

opti mist wrote: ↑22 Feb 2026 06:13 am Trying to envision a solution for MLB.

Two conferences--one with a hard salary cap and floor. Full revenue sharing. NFL model.
If available probably 2/3rds of current teams would join.

Second conference would be the elites--LA, Boston, Yankees, Mets, Toronto, etc.
No cap, no revenue sharing.

Common draft, no interconference play. World Series between conference champions.

Opti

Interest as I was throwing pretty much the same thought around to my brother yesterday too sans the salary cap (never happening) and payroll floor (never happening)!

I used revenues to set my teams in the AL/NL back to the old EAST-WEST divisions in each league.

opti mist wrote: ↑22 Feb 2026 06:13 am Trying to envision a solution for MLB.

Two conferences--one with a hard salary cap and floor. Full revenue sharing. NFL model.
If available probably 2/3rds of current teams would join.

Second conference would be the elites--LA, Boston, Yankees, Mets, Toronto, etc.
No cap, no revenue sharing.

Common draft, no interconference play. World Series between conference champions.

Opti

Try this.
Top 5 payrolls (calculation includes all deferred dollars being counted in current season) in each league are assigned in the year following to one of two "wealth divisions" - one designated as NL and the other as AL based on most reasonable geography - shifting teams as needed from league to league.
Teams play 52 games within that division, just as is the case now.
For example, that would create a 2026 "NL wealth division" of Dodgers, Braves, Astros, Cubs and Padres; and an "AL wealth division" of Yankees, Jays, Mets, Phillies, Tigers".
Then create 2 other NL and AL divisions based on remaining teams and traditional geography to the greatest degree possible.
Division winners advance to playoff.
3 wild cards per league - one per division.
That would result in 40% of the top payroll team advancing to the playoffs, where they would receive 1/3 of the available spots (exactly matching their payroll distribution ranking across all teams).
Not one team is therefore rewarded or punished for its spending habits.
Each season becomes its own unique entity, increasing fan interest universally.
No cap to limit player salaries.
Zero incentive for any owners to suppress spending of their own franchise.
Easy.
Obvious.
Correct.
And, of course, brilliant (you should never expect anything less).

opti mist wrote: ↑22 Feb 2026 06:13 am Trying to envision a solution for MLB.

Two conferences--one with a hard salary cap and floor. Full revenue sharing. NFL model.
If available probably 2/3rds of current teams would join.

Second conference would be the elites--LA, Boston, Yankees, Mets, Toronto, etc.
No cap, no revenue sharing.

Common draft, no interconference play. World Series between conference champions.

Opti

The problem I see is that you'd have 1 conference with all the talent. Who would want to sign with a conference that has a cap? Certainly not star players, they'd be looking to cash in and who could blame them. After all, they have a finite window to make wealth for them and their family. No, something has to either be done to lift the poorer teams ups or drive the richer teams down. It's difficult problem in that someone is going to have to give. If you increase revenue sharing then you decrease the value of the high dollar teams and also cut into their profits. They aren't going to want to do that. If you institute a salary cap then you're infringing on players ability to make their wealth. They aren't going to want to do that. What's the solution? Maybe a little of both? A compromise?

opti mist wrote: ↑22 Feb 2026 06:13 am Trying to envision a solution for MLB.

Two conferences--one with a hard salary cap and floor. Full revenue sharing. NFL model.
If available probably 2/3rds of current teams would join.

Second conference would be the elites--LA, Boston, Yankees, Mets, Toronto, etc.
No cap, no revenue sharing.

Common draft, no interconference play. World Series between conference champions.

Opti

So every year you would have a WS between the 'halves' and 'have nots' Don't care for that personally.

opti mist wrote: ↑22 Feb 2026 06:13 am Trying to envision a solution for MLB.

Two conferences--one with a hard salary cap and floor. Full revenue sharing. NFL model.
If available probably 2/3rds of current teams would join.

Second conference would be the elites--LA, Boston, Yankees, Mets, Toronto, etc.
No cap, no revenue sharing.

Common draft, no interconference play. World Series between conference champions.

Opti

Dumb

CCard wrote: ↑22 Feb 2026 09:24 am

opti mist wrote: ↑22 Feb 2026 06:13 am Trying to envision a solution for MLB.

Two conferences--one with a hard salary cap and floor. Full revenue sharing. NFL model.
If available probably 2/3rds of current teams would join.

Second conference would be the elites--LA, Boston, Yankees, Mets, Toronto, etc.
No cap, no revenue sharing.

Common draft, no interconference play. World Series between conference champions.

Opti

The problem I see is that you'd have 1 conference with all the talent. Who would want to sign with a conference that has a cap? Certainly not star players, they'd be looking to cash in and who could blame them. After all, they have a finite window to make wealth for them and their family. No, something has to either be done to lift the poorer teams ups or drive the richer teams down. It's difficult problem in that someone is going to have to give. If you increase revenue sharing then you decrease the value of the high dollar teams and also cut into their profits. They aren't going to want to do that. If you institute a salary cap then you're infringing on players ability to make their wealth. They aren't going to want to do that. What's the solution? Maybe a little of both? A compromise?

My solution solves that issue - and all others.

ramfandan wrote: ↑22 Feb 2026 09:41 am

opti mist wrote: ↑22 Feb 2026 06:13 am Trying to envision a solution for MLB.

Two conferences--one with a hard salary cap and floor. Full revenue sharing. NFL model.
If available probably 2/3rds of current teams would join.

Second conference would be the elites--LA, Boston, Yankees, Mets, Toronto, etc.
No cap, no revenue sharing.

Common draft, no interconference play. World Series between conference champions.

Opti

So every year you would have a WS between the 'halves' and 'have nots' Don't care for that personally.

My solution solves that issue - and all others.

HorseTrader wrote: ↑22 Feb 2026 07:52 am So the Pirates, Cards entire central becomes a minor league. That's how it will be see and treated. Very good players will move to your super league which will be seen as the Major League Baseball. The rest will be viewed as minor league teams.

Total revenue sharing with some sort of floor and ceiling is in my mind the only real solution. First problem is solving the broadcast situation in a long term manner.

My solution solves that issue - and all others.

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑22 Feb 2026 07:41 am This resembles the European soccer league and relegation. Under your model, what happens if and when a super team becomes mortal. Do they move down. Or a dynasty team in the regular conference, do they move into the super power conference.

My solution solves that issue - and all others.

WeeVikes wrote: ↑22 Feb 2026 06:21 am

opti mist wrote: ↑22 Feb 2026 06:13 am Trying to envision a solution for MLB.

Two conferences--one with a hard salary cap and floor. Full revenue sharing. NFL model.
If available probably 2/3rds of current teams would join.

Second conference would be the elites--LA, Boston, Yankees, Mets, Toronto, etc.
No cap, no revenue sharing.

Common draft, no interconference play. World Series between conference champions.

Opti

Ok, but there’s only one players’ union, so presumably only one CBA. How do you get them to swallow cap and floor for some, but not all?

My solution solves that issue - and all others.

Not saying I like the two-conference idea, just throwing it out there as a possible solution.

The top-payroll teams are separating themselves out anyway and signing the best free agents. The others will eventually fade into oblivion.

At least with the two conferences you would have a number of teams sharing revenue and spending it on an equal plane. That conference would be competitive.

BTW, I see the same thing eventually happening under NIL $$ in college sports. Eventually you have the haves and have nots.

MLB as we have known it is done. Completely done.

Opti

Melville wrote: ↑22 Feb 2026 10:43 am

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑22 Feb 2026 07:41 am This resembles the European soccer league and relegation. Under your model, what happens if and when a super team becomes mortal. Do they move down. Or a dynasty team in the regular conference, do they move into the super power conference.

My solution solves that issue - and all others.

You are a broken record. Not sure that your "solution" is a solution. You still have a "super" league and a minor league. So that's not solved.