The average value of every MLB team is $1.2 billion, according to Forbes. The burgeoning industry is worth $36 billion overall. And yet we have the Toronto Blue Jays going to arbitration with AL MVP Josh Donaldson over $450,000.
Last week each club exchanged salary figures for the 2016 season with their arbitration-eligible players. Donaldson, who won the MVP by a landslide and earned his first Silver Slugger award in 2015, is in his second year of arbitration eligibility. He made just $4.3 million in 2015 after Toronto defeated him in last year's arbitration hearing.
He filed for an $11.8 million salary this time around and the Blue Jays countered with $11.35 million. Instead of coming to an agreement, the two sides will have an arbitration panel hear the case, which is downright absurd. Sure, $450,00 is a lot to the common man, but in the world of baseball salaries, it's below the league minimum and, if we're assuming the Blue Jays are worth the average $1.2 billion for every MLB club, that's way less than one percent of their overall wealth.
"The Jays, as a file-and-trial team, will not negotiate further on a one-year contract after arbitration numbers are exchanged," writes FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. "But now they very likely have damaged their relationship with Donaldson, a proud, emotional sort who will not forget this slight."
Sure, policies are policies and business is business. But this "dispute" is over giving the best player in the AL an extra $450,000 when he just propelled your team to its first postseason appearance, AL East division title and ALCS appearance since 1993.
"Considering how small the split is this time, it's the Jays who look small-minded, taking a business-first approach to an extreme."
It's also (another) bad look for new CEO and president Mark Shapiro, who has been nothing but criticized since officially taking over in November. General manager Alex Anthopoulos refused to sign a five-year deal to stay with the Blue Jays because he said it wasn't the right fit under Shapiro. Anthopoulos served as the team's GM since October of 2009 and orchestrated a number of pivotal trades and had many successful drafts to help get Toronto where they are now.
He joined the stacked front office of the Los Angeles Dodgers this month.
On the other hand, before arriving in Toronto, Shapiro spent 24 years with the Cleveland Indians. He became general manager in 2001 and team president after the 2010 season. And what does he have to show for it? Six winning records, three postseason appearances, two AL Central titles and zero World Series championships in 15 seasons.
And now he's the guy who won't sign off on a $450K pay raise for the best player in the American League.
No wonder we can't have nice things.
