Post by Rog on Feb 27, 2015 13:45:33 GMT -5
Could high state income tax rates be hurting the California teams in free agency bidding?
Brian Sabean recently indicated it did. I don't remember the state being compared (Massachusetts?), but the top California income tax rate was 8% higher. Not just 8%. 8% HIGHER.
This hasn't hurt the Southern California teams too much. They haven't been overly limited. But each of those teams have huge media contracts to prop up their spending. Neither the A's nor the Giants have had much success signing the top free agents. In the A's case, they are further limited by just plain not having much money to spend.
Unless the Giants, who have a decent media contract, can improve their media revenue, it appears the road will get tougher as they move down it. Maybe that means a heavier focus on the immediate is warranted.
Of course the question then becomes, if they spend all their money now, what happens down the road when their present window of opportunity dries up and they have very little money with which to rebound?
The best answer might be to hire a more progressive general manager, one who will receive a high salary but will create value with the players he acquires. Brian Sabean himself is generally considered to be one of the top GM's and certainly has a track record, so that isn't likely to happen anytime soon.
Meanwhile, I don't think the Giants will become one of the "have nots," but it does seem quite possible they will drop down on the list of the "haves."
Brian Sabean recently indicated it did. I don't remember the state being compared (Massachusetts?), but the top California income tax rate was 8% higher. Not just 8%. 8% HIGHER.
This hasn't hurt the Southern California teams too much. They haven't been overly limited. But each of those teams have huge media contracts to prop up their spending. Neither the A's nor the Giants have had much success signing the top free agents. In the A's case, they are further limited by just plain not having much money to spend.
Unless the Giants, who have a decent media contract, can improve their media revenue, it appears the road will get tougher as they move down it. Maybe that means a heavier focus on the immediate is warranted.
Of course the question then becomes, if they spend all their money now, what happens down the road when their present window of opportunity dries up and they have very little money with which to rebound?
The best answer might be to hire a more progressive general manager, one who will receive a high salary but will create value with the players he acquires. Brian Sabean himself is generally considered to be one of the top GM's and certainly has a track record, so that isn't likely to happen anytime soon.
Meanwhile, I don't think the Giants will become one of the "have nots," but it does seem quite possible they will drop down on the list of the "haves."
