Freddie Freeman hit a grand slam to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a win in game one of the World Series.
I have a difficult time getting into this World Series, and Freeman might be an example of why. He signed a six year, $162 million deal with the Dodgers ahead of the 2022 season. The deal includes $57 million of deferred money, but makes Freeman the second-highest paid first baseman.
As a fan of small market teams, it’s difficult for me to get into this mega-market World Series between Los Angeles and the New York Yankees. Even if the Pirates had a guy like Freeman, it would be inevitable that he would eventually go to one of these teams. And it’s nearly impossible to imagine the Pirates surrounding Freeman with guys like Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani.
The Pirates do have one of the best young players in the game right now in Paul Skenes. He’s likely to be eligible for free agency following the 2029 season, and the odds that he will be in Pittsburgh in 2030 are probably smaller than the Pirates having a Freeman/Betts/Ohtani combo in their lineup. Unless Major League Baseball sees a reform in their economic structure, Skenes will eventually be offered more money than the Pirates could spend.
What this means is the Pirates have a window. They have Skenes under control for the next five seasons, and if they want to win with him, they need to win during that time. Preferably sooner than later, as his arbitration price would be like nothing the Pirates have seen, raising the questions of whether they can keep him.
These are questions that would exist for any small market team. Pirates owner Bob Nutting needs to spend more, and the next few years with Skenes would be a good time for him to start taking more of a financial risk toward winning. But there isn’t a small market team who could keep Skenes long into free agency, without him taking a massive paycut.
These aren’t issues for teams like the Yankees and Dodgers. There are no windows of contention in New York and LA. While small market teams always have their eye on the amateur market for the best players in the future, the Yankees and Dodgers always have their eye on the free agent market for the best players today. There are a few other teams who can compete, financially, with these two teams.
Small market teams can still make the World Series. The Rays lost to the Dodgers in 2020, for example. If they’re a competent enough organization, a small market team can have enough success to lose to a mega-market team in the World Series. Or, you can do like the Royals and spend big when you’ve got the best young players, and hope for the best in a short time span.
From a small market perspective, Major League Baseball is like watching professional wrestling, and your favorite team is in the cruiserweight division. This World Series features two heavyweights competing for the title that is designed for them. You can either accept that Major League Baseball is structured for large market teams to win it all most years, or you can hope your team pulls a Rey Mysterio Jr.
Pirates fans are just hoping to avoid a Doink the Clown situation.
Arizona Fall League
Sammy Siani had three hits, including his third double of the AFL season, on Friday night. Read about the game, which featured performances from three other Pirates prospects.
Siani is off to a great start in the AFL this year. I wrote about him earlier this week, noting that he might be a late bloomer from a prospect standpoint.
Friday Night in Other Sports
I didn’t watch much of the World Series matchup. Instead, I watched the Philadelphia 76ers lose short-handed, before watching the Chicago Bulls beat the Dallas Mavericks in a great game.
There’s something about the way that Bulls guard Coby White shoots a three that is different than anyone else. It’s like the ball is heavier as it floats through the air and crashes through the net. White launched seven three pointers to help beat Giannis and Lillard.
I was going to watch the Penguins game, but that went off the rails quickly.
What I’m Watching on Saturday
I’ve got college football action on all day Saturday. As I write this, I’m watching Washington and Indiana. I think Vanderbilt will give Texas a run for their money this afternoon, and I’ll probably be flipping between Penn State, basketball, and the World Series tonight.
