Rosenthal: In the screwy world of baseball economics, even as the players win, they’re losing
From Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic on April 4, 2019:
Mike Trout, that’s the comparison Freddie Freeman likes to make. Freeman’s Braves teammate, left fielder Ronald Acuña Jr., probably will not be another Trout, who already is one of the all-time greats. But the way Freeman sees it, Acuña’s physical tools are similar to Trout’s. He might be Trout, which is about the highest compliment a player can receive.
And yet, after signing an eight-year, $100 million contract with two club options on Tuesday, Acuña left himself with virtually no chance of getting paid like Trout, even if he proves to be the player Freeman envisions.
It is difficult to fault Acuña, 21, for agreeing to the deal. It is difficult to fault almost any player who accepts life-changing money, even if his extension is club-friendly. But in the screwy world of baseball economics, even as the players win, they’re losing.
Read the full article here (subscription required): https://theathletic.com/905643/2019/04/04/rosenthal-in-the-screwy-world-of-baseball-economics-even-as-the-players-win-hello-100-million-theyre-losing/
Originally published: April 5, 2019. Last Updated: April 5, 2019.