Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - It seems like MLB owners are willing to sacrifice 2027 season to get a salary cap

Episode Date: February 13, 2026

Leila Rahimi and Marshall Harris discussed how MLB owners are seemingly willing to sacrifice the 2027 season to get a salary cap implemented.

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Whether I'm running, training, traveling, or just unlining at home, I love doing it in my core shorts from Viori. With a breathable boxer brief liner, they're quick to dry, super versatile, and stand up to even my most intense training sessions. Plus, they come in three in seams and a ton of colors. Ready to try pair? Go to Viori.com slash arch and get 20% off at checkout. I think you're going to love them as much as I do. That's V-U-R-I-com slash A-R-C-H and get 20% off your first order. Exclusions apply. Visit the website for full terms and conditions. Not only will you receive 20% off your first purchase, but enjoy free shipping on any U.S. orders over $75 and free returns. Have a great day.

Rahimi Harrison Grody, Midday's Tyndal 2 on Chicago Sports Radio 1043 The Score. This is Rahimi Harrison Grody on 1043 The Score, and I hate to kill the vibe, and I didn't really want to, and Matt Spiegel loves good vibes, be. but even he is worried about the upcoming 2027 season. And I say, I'll have to say, let's enjoy 2026 while we can. This is Rahimi Harrison Grotie on 1043, The Score. We broadcast live from the Scores Hyundai Studios, brought to you by your local Hyundai dealers. Ray Diaz, our producer with the line of the day,

about Tim Anderson not knowing how to throw hands. We found Tim Anderson bobblehead doll's hand, by the way. So there has been some peace restored after the great spill of Lake Superior's worth of Panera sweet tea onto our death. Unsweet tea. That's that. I did you wrong. Unsweet. I don't want to get the diabetes. The beatis. Yes. That is a lot. That is a lot. Yeah. If that were, if that were sweet tea, that have been sticky and sometimes I get unsweet with a little bit of sweet tea on top just a good little.

I will not. Yacier. I'm there. I do love good ice tea. It's kind of an ice tea day with the sunshine. Tyler Buehberra is our producer as well. You heard his excellent open. Ryan Porth helped out with her mess. Brandon Friar helps us out as well. And I mentioned Twitch where I showed TA without Well, our Twitch team doing a tremendous job per usual, our video crew. It is Connor O'Donnell, Jacob Stutz, and Max Curtis. And everybody's texting and calling already. 312644-67 is our number because this is something that is top of mind. 773 texted in and this is real.

My wife is a bartender in the stadium club at Kamiski. We're already freaking out. She doesn't make enough to save her a season missed. Lots of employees and people in that boat. we talked about it earlier. Matt Spiegel said that a war chest has been created, and there are coffers that are being filled to try to save a rainy day fund, emergency funds for teams.

And, you know, that's an emergency fund for everybody who works and supports these teams and makes a good living when things are good, you know, every day at a ballpark. You don't have that luxury. Is this a warning salvo from owners in that they're showing you how dug in they're going to be because they understand they're dealing with the most powerful union, arguably in the world, in that, yes, we know you guys will hold out because that's what

you've done every time we've done this as far as coming to the table in negotiations, especially with something as serious as a salary cap. What this signals to me, understanding that teams are going to get $75 million a year per reports, is that they're willing to sacrifice the season to get the end result of salary cap. That is the thing. Those who have resources are always willing to do what's best for those who have resources because they have the resources to withstand any sort of setback. How resourceful of them.

But that's it. It's such a self-feeding beast. 847, Texas. How are the Dodgers going to pay all the deferred money when their next TV contract will be tiny compared to their current one? I don't know, my friend, because the Dodgers contract is 25 years in $8.35 billion. That thing runs out in 2038. But also... So do you think anybody's thinking about that except for maybe Kyle Tucker and his deferred money, which runs through how long again?

But also, if you read the story about how Shoe O'Tani has already brought them back all the money they spent on Shohay Otani, it makes all the sense in the world. And that's it. The Dodgers say it's good business for them to do this. And don't... I always say, like, when you can create a budget, when you've got the opportunity, I always like to say if billion-dollar businesses can have budgets, and so can I. But they wouldn't do this unless it wasn't good money for them. So keep that in mind. They're not. not a charity organization either. To add to that is the discussion from our friend Evan Drellick, who has been on this for the athletic for a very long time. Came out with a story this week, what would MLB look like

with a salary cap, explaining the wide-ranging, game-changing effects? And he illustrates a lot of what this is, and of course, the obvious here is the players union has opposed that concept for decades, because we see who, what do I say this week?

Who pays, who loses, who benefits? the players do not benefit from having a salary cap. And that's the truth. On mass, that is the truth. And owners may try to sell you, whoa, if we have a cap, we'll also have a floor and, you know, the lesser paid guys will get paid more. But, nah, that's not it. No, it just, it's an excuse for everybody to get paid less. And I think part of the reason we've discussed, the NFL is a good example of the contrast here,

is because the NFL players, knowing their careers are usually short. You know, they've got to make a certain amount of money in a certain time. when you take away a lot of these resources, time is money. They don't have the money to sit out a season like this. And that's why this is a, it illustrates the position. There's a quote here too from Bruce Meyer, the deputy director of the union. Salary caps in other sports have not led to competitive balance. In fact, baseball, which is one of the only, is the only one of the four major sports,

which does not have a salary cap, actually has better competitive balance than the other sports. A salary cap punishes competition, punishes clubs who want to go out and acquire the best players, and put the most exciting product on the field for the fans. It gives owners who prefer not to compete, an all-purpose excuse not to do so. So that is the union's position. And it goes on to say, talks are not expected to move quickly. And another December lockout is widely expected. The big question is whether it costs the sport regular season games in 2027.

The NBA, NFL, and NHL all have caps, but none were agreed to eagerly. by their players. Think about the NBA now and how it's not as exciting to watch the trade deadline. It's not as exciting to see which team has done the most because of the new CBA and the tax and the ceiling it put on teams who want to compete and find creative ways and they do it differently. And there is not as much of a difference between the have and the have-nots as far as payroll because every NBA team has a star of some kind. And we have seen that go away and the excitement not be as much, you know, to the public. The public is losing because the NBA had to do a more strict CBA

that tamper's down on a lot of what he's illustrating here. So the CBA and the NBA specifically, you know, they got tired of the super teams and they just kept coming up with different ways to discourage teams from being able to keep and add star players. Like you can keep your star player, but you can't add more star players or else you're just not going to have any way else to fill out the roster

because of the way the minimum salaries work in the NBA. And teams that can develop, I hate that I'm referring to this, but like the Oklahoma City Thunder with several good players. A very small market team, by the way, relatively speaking, to the rest of the league. And you get a star in Shea Gildes Alexander. Now he's on your roof. You can pay him more because of the way all NBA and some of these other awards MVP

allow you to pay guys more in their max contracts. But you're also going to have to get really. rid of guys eventually because you can't pay them as much. It's going to be harder to keep guys that you don't have, you don't use the bird rights sparingly and then to understand what the rest of the league is doing to counter that now is really has been a thing that's been documented pretty well. That's why Janus is in trouble right now and can't find anybody to play with. Well, and that's it.

And 323 is texting us no matter who wins this fight, the fans lose. There would be no money to argue over without the fans. and we are not all united. The last time I checked, you can't unite at 350 million people. You know, it's a share of a pie when it comes to how people feel about this. It's kind of like us talking about the stadium the other day. You know, you can vote on it. And then your voice has been registered directly to the concern.

But in this case, you can't do that. You can give up a steak dinner if you want. I don't know that's going to solve this issue. Poor Tony and Joliette wanted to give up a steak dinner for the Bears. Unfortunately, it costs more for that stadium, and it's going to cost. cost a heck of a lot more in this situation. Roots. Where you're from matters. What's up? But your boy, the Ted Smith. And I may be from the East Coast, but my roots are deep here in Seattle. Over 20 years deep, just like our pals and Pinkies plumbing.

They're rooted in Seattle, just like me. And speaking of roots, tree roots are the biggest danger to your sewers and cost you thousands. So let your hometown heroes, Pinkies, get to the roof of your plumbing problems. Pinkiesplumbing.com. It's Charles Barkley here with Wayfair. Let me tell you, Game day is serious business at my house. If I'm grilling, chilling, and watching hoops, my outdoor setup better be ready to play. That's where Wayfair wins. From patio seating and umbrellas to grills and grill accessories,

Wayfair's got it all, and it shows up fast. I'm talking fast and easy delivery. So level up your grill game and your outdoor chill game. And head to Wayfair.com to get your outdoor space ready for the season. Wayfair, every style, every home. What's going on? I'm Archmanning, Viori athlete and college quarterback. Whether I'm running, training, traveling, or just unlining at home, I love doing it in my core shorts from Viori.

With a breathable boxer brief liner, they're quick to dry, super versatile, and stand up to even my most intense training sessions. Plus, they come in three in seams and a ton of colors. Ready to try pair? Go to Viori.com slash arch and get 20% off at checkout. I think you're going to love them as much as I do. That's V-U-R-R-I-com slash A-R-C-H and get 20% off your first order. exclusions apply. Visit the website for full terms and conditions. Not only will you receive 20% off your first purchase, but enjoy free shipping on any U.S. orders over $75 and free returns. Have a great day.

I am curious, 312-4-4-667-67. Call us, let us know. You're already texting this, but call us and let us know, we'll put you on to tell us what you think about this now looming lockout situation that really we've been staring in the face for what, three years, four years maybe, and now it's going to become a reality next year. It's four years because, well, five, really, because it's since the last CBA. Yeah, yeah. We had a delay then to the season, if you'll recall. Yeah.

That was the COVID year, right? We're right. And a lot of companies and a lot of businesses have used that to their advantage against workers. And Meyer continues here. He's the deputy for the Players Union. whatever the special introductory offer is, the history has shown that that doesn't last. Once they get you in that system, you never get out. And they drive that percentage down of the revenue share that the players would get by repeated lockouts.

In fact, in the salary cap sport since 1994, they've had way more work stoppages, way more lockouts, way more missed games than an hour sport. But how that split is calculated, revenue definition isn't what the league makes per what the players earn. would also be contested. It is even today without a cap. Talking about a share in the abstract really doesn't tell you anything. Many team owners have real estate developments and other ancillary businesses

that owners would fight to exclude and players would fight to include. This very much applies here in this city. The union thinks the current system accounts for some of that value. That's it. And Evandrelig's big line here that I think is important is,

if MLB gets its way, contracts like the 15-year $765 million deal that Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets would never be given out again. And we focus on those rather than focusing on the players for teams who are just trying to make it. Like I'm not trying to weaponize Mike Tockman here.

But Mike Tockman's a major league ball player and he should have a job by now. And it's that kind of guy's success who is a part of the greater discussion here in the union and the owners and the discussion they're in. Yeah, you can remember what, two off seasons ago when they really waited and waited to sign players because there was a concerted effort, although not admitted, between teams, to keep down salaries. And it worked to a degree.

That it did. And, you know, a lot of accusations about people here who are a part of that in this city and who owns in this city were a part of that as well. And I think this is a good point from 708. The owners can remain irrational longer than the labor can. remain solvent. Man, that's a bar right there. That is Economics 101. And you could say irrational, but are they remaining irrational?

Or are they just prepared to go to war? It feels like that's really what's happening here. Yeah. I mean, it's the concept of blank you money. You know who has a lot more of blank you money than you and me? Owners. I'm always amazed when people side with the billionaires over the millionaires. Because we're taught to do so.

It means you're falling in line. It means you're a good employee. People can become millionaires. The astronomical odds of being in the billionaire class should tell you something. It's hard for people to get. And it doesn't mean people are dumb. It just means it's unless you understand what that is, unless you experience it for yourself, you don't understand the contrast of one and the other.

Do you remember the rice experiment? It was not an experiment, just the rice display? Illustration. Yes, illustration. And how they just showed you, okay, this is what $10,000 looks like, a grain of rice. And they say, this is a million dollars in rice. So that's 100 grains.

And then the billionaire, it's like a freaking bucket. Yeah. And that's the part that I think it's hard for us. And they're so visible, you know, they're the people you see. Like, I don't know about you guys, but in economics class for me in high school, every comparison was Bill Gates. It's like, well, does Bill Gates do this? Now it would obviously be Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk.

You're like, well, what about these guys? Because you want something to compare it to. You want to understand a frame of reference here. And you think that that's success. And that's the hardest part. It's trying to figure out that the two are so remarkably different. And keep this in mind. This is something that Evan Relic had in his story.

Major League teams were worth $2.6 billion on average entering last season per Forbes. So even when you think your team, may worth that much? This says otherwise. And don't forget, even people who thought the bears weren't as much as what they may have perceived. And then we find out because of the shares and that, and that changing of hands that the bears are valued at roughly a little under $9 billion. Is that a lot of money? They may not. And listen, they're not the best example as far as cash flow because they

are asset rich, but they're still somehow rich. it's a different level of rich between rich and wealthy also this text from 312 millionaires and billionaires negotiating who cares cancel a whole season no skin off my nose maybe not yours but other people I mean we just told you about somebody who works at Kamiski do they not deserve to have their jobs and the point is there's a lot the difference between a billionaire and a millionaire is a lot you could be a billionaire but you can't be a billionaire but you can't be a billion with a B. That's the difference.

And if there is a billionaire listening to our show, I would like to know why. Your time is worth a lot of money and why are you listening to us? Can you get me another hand for Tim Anderson? 3.1.2 says, and this is a great illustration,

seconds, a thousand seconds equals 17 minutes. A million seconds equals 12 days. A billion seconds equals 32 years. And that's the difference. that that's the difference in this like you you if you if you played it right and you're of a certain age say the top of our demographic for example or older you know and you bought your property you live in a house and you you didn't have to deal with a lot of debt from the house or debt

from student loans and you invested into a really good pension or some sort of 401k there's a very strong chance you're a millionaire and i'm not here to tell you how long that money lasts but that's the difference between you being a millionaire and the billionaires who never had to worry about such things. I love liars. 708. I will always side with ownership except over public funding stadium issues.

These players get paid millions to play a game that I would play for free. They aren't making peanuts working in a sweatshop factory. They still got to feed themselves in their families, right? Also, do you know what they make in the minor leagues? Like, are you familiar with traditions like past, the hat, were because they're making so little in the minor leagues that they can't feed their families. And the number of those players compared to the number of major league players. And just

because you would do something for free doesn't mean you should either. Although if you want to come like cut my grass for free, feel free. Yeah, what else do you love that you want to do for free? Free. Go ahead. And that's the other thing. You shouldn't do it for free because you have worth. Maybe if more of you started understanding your own self-worth, then you would understand. understand others. Start with yourself. 312-644-67 is our number here on Rehemi Harrison Grotie. And in the meantime, speaking of the NBA, there was a punishment levied by the league toward a team that is a very cautionary tale for the Bulls. So let's examine that next. Hey, it's Captain Ron. And as a Washington native, it's so important for me to work with

companies who love it here just as much as I do. I want someone to do. who calls it I-5 and not the five, or laughs at me when I say I kind of miss the Tacoma aroma? That's why I use Pinkies Plumbing for every plumbing need I have. They're rooted in Seattle. They get Seattle. So remember, not all heroes wear capes, but in Seattle

are hometown heroes wear a big old pig on the side of their van. Pinkiesplumbing dot com. What's going on? I'm Archmanning, Viori athlete, and college quarterback. Whether I'm running, training, traveling, or just unlining at home, I love doing it in my core shorts from Viori. With a breathable boxer brief liner,

They're quick to dry, super versatile, and stand up to even my most intense training sessions. Plus, they come in three in seams and a ton of colors. Ready to try pair? Go to viori.com slash arch and get 20% off at checkout. I think you're going to love them as much as I do. That's vURI.com slash ARCH and get 20% off your first order. Exclusions apply. Visit the website for full terms and conditions.

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