Aug 7, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) laughs with Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) as they wait for a replay in the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
CLEARWATER, Fla. — In case you haven't heard, Bryce Harper doesn't believe MLB needs a salary cap.
Harper — who is emerging as a labor leader ahead of what's expected to be a lengthy lockout next winter — appeared on "Bussin' With The Boys," and was asked why baseball doesn't have a salary cap.
"Shit's not gonna happen," Harper said to laughter. "Shit's not gonna happen."
While there was some comedy in Harper's original answer, he expanded on why he doesn't believe baseball needs a cap, which owners are expected to push for when the current collective bargaining agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 1.
"I just feel like for our game, and the way our game is going and how much ... I always say this, I'd rather be an owner than a player," Harper said. "There's people lining up to buy teams. So we must be doing OK. There's so many things like the Rockies were bought for like $250 million or something crazy like that, now they're worth $2 or $3 billion. You know what I'm saying? So like, teams are making money. And obviously, everybody has down years, and things like that. But, at the end of the day, players need to get compensated the right way for the longevity of their career."
Earlier this week, Harper gave a pretty passionate defense of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The two-time defending World Series Champions are projected to enter the season with a luxury tax payroll over $390 million after adding both Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz.
Bryce Harper: “I love what the Dodgers do, obviously.”
(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/t7SNXrdFAC
Harper gave a similar defense of the Dodgers last April when they visited Philadelphia. While some have interpreted his passion when speaking about the Dodgers as a dig at the Phillies or a sign he has a desire to play for Los Angeles, he said in this podcast appearance — which was recorded prior to his arrival at Spring Training, but released Tuesday — that "I'm not saying like, I want to be a Dodger ... like that's crazy." It does seem to be a genuine argument from Harper as those in favor of a salary cap try to paint the Dodgers as the straw that broke the camel's back and forced owners to push for a salary cap.
All of this comes after ESPN's Jeff Passan reported last July that Harper "stood nose to nose with Rob Manfred during a meeting between the Major League Baseball commissioner and the team last week, telling him to 'get the fuck out of our clubhouse' if Manfred wanted to talk about the potential implementation of a salary cap."
The argument that owners are likely to make in an attempt to try to divide players next winter is that while players like Harper — who is entering the eighth season of a 13-year/$330 million contract — might not benefit from a salary cap, the average MLB player, who may not even accumulate the six years of service time necessary to become a free agent, could make out better in a new system. Basically, owners might be willing to increase minimum salaries and possibly even shorten the time it takes to become a free agent if it means they can get a salary cap.
There may be some owners who legitimately want a salary cap because they believe it will level the playing field in terms of ability to compete for a World Series, but the biggest reason it will be a popular idea among ownership is because it will limit how much can be spent on payroll and give more cost certainty on a year-to-year basis. Under this current system, an owner who is already spending a decent chunk of money can be shamed for not going over the luxury tax threshold, which comes with relatively minor penalties. But if there's a cap, owners can just point to that as to why they can't spend more money.
The problem with trying to get players on board with that is MLBPA leadership tends to have more of a representation from star players, as opposed to journeymen who may only play three or four years in the league. Clearly, Harper — who has made out very well in this current system— seems to be positioning himself as someone who will be at the forefront of trying to fend off a salary cap coming to the sport next offseason.
