At this point, I shouldn’t be surprised. However, as a fan of a small market team, when large organizations such as the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, and Padres continuously throw money around at countless players, it constantly reminds me that not all MLB teams are created equal.

The Padres brought those feelings to the surface once again on Saturday, as they agreed to terms on an extension with Jake Cronenworth. The deal was marked up at seven years, $80 million dollars, and will keep the infielder in San Diego until he’s 37. Not only that but according to Jeff Passan, this deal becomes the largest contract signed by a 29-year-old player, with less than four years of experience.

While it doesn’t seem like an extremely lucrative deal, with how little experience Cronenworth has, mixed with his age, adds to the stereotypical narrative of big market teams throwing large sums of money on long deals to whichever player tickles their fancy at the time.

Now, this isn’t to say Cronenworth hasn’t been productive. Even with a down year in 2022, slashing .239/.332/.390, the deal seems like a bit of a stretch for the infielder who turns 30 this offseason.

Adding a cap to the MLB would ultimately be something nearly impossible to pass as players, owners, and the MLB as a business, all benefit from having the current setup.

However, with these big market teams constantly throwing around these large contracts and buying themselves into contention every year you wonder when fans of the MLB will simply say enough is enough. Again, realistically changing the current setup and adding some sort of cap is a major uphill battle, but nevertheless, it’s an interesting discussion to have.

What I think would be an easier move for the MLB would be to introduce a salary floor that every team has to make sure they meet. That would force owners of small market teams to continue to invest in their ballclubs. This could also act as a wake-up call for owners that might need to consider full or part relocations to stay in compliance.

Ultimately what the sport needs is more consistent competition from all their teams.

Would a salary cap benefit the game of baseball? Let us know at Twitter @WeLikeSportzPC.

-Riley Bry

@RileyBry_

*Photo courtesy of Forbes.com*