With MLB free agency in full swing, SS Manny Machado is "embarking on a three-city tour to meet some of his suitors," including the White Sox, Phillies and Yankees, and the pursuit of the player is so high-profile that it "even warranted a tour poster of sorts from the league-sanctioned Twitter account," according to Mike Oz of YAHOO SPORTS. Oz: "You roll your eyes at that if you're a fan of a certain age." But it is "about time somebody in baseball put some pizzazz on these things and started treating these baseball stars like actual stars." It is "not about feeding Machado’s ego," but rather "giving these moments the gravitas they deserve." This is a "free-agency moment we’ve been awaiting for years." Oz: "Let’s go crazy. We wouldn’t roll our eyes at an NFL star or an NBA star getting wooed by teams." If fans and media "want baseball to seem cooler, attract athletes who have opportunities in other sports and, perhaps most importantly, attract fans whose attention could easily be invested in other things, then blowing up these moments is essential" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 12/17).
THE PRICE OF WINNING: SI.com's Jon Tayler wrote for many MLB teams, the luxury tax "exists somewhere between the monster under the bed and debilitating fear of nuclear war." Even the "richest team in baseball," the Dodgers, have reportedly told investors that they "will try to remain under the tax for the next four seasons." This "all makes sense, because the punishment for exceeding the luxury tax threshold is absolutely brutal -- a vicious, coffers-draining extraction." The Red Sox owe $11.95M in luxury tax for "having baseball’s top payroll" this past season. The Nationals must pay $2.39M, "their second straight year with a bill." The Red Sox franchise "should have no trouble recouping the money gone to the luxury tax thanks to its World Series run." Between "postseason ticket sales, merchandise, all the extra cash that comes in thanks to a championship -- the Red Sox can probably pay off" that bill "solely through three weeks of October baseball" (SI.com, 12/18).
NEW PROTOCOL? In L.A., Jorge Castillo cites sources as saying that MLB at the Winter Meetings presented a proposal to teams that "would allow clubs to sign players out of Cuba beginning next year, rather than forcing them to first defect from the country and establish residency elsewhere." The plan, which "resembles the posting system for Japanese players, stipulated major league teams would pay 25% of a player’s minor league bonus or 15% to 20% of the total guaranteed value in a major league deal to the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) as a release fee, possibly in addition to other fees, none of which would count against clubs’ international amateur bonus pool money." Defectors "would face 'a waiting period' and major league teams still would be required to pay a release fee to the FCB to sign a defector." Scouting on the island "would remain prohibited" (L.A. TIMES, 12/19).
