The Day of Reckoning is Coming

[rog]

The Giants made a valiant effort this off-season to put it off, but the day of reckoning is almost certainly coming -- unless the Giants do what the Dodgers did when new ownership came aboard and spend like drunken politicians.  (No dig at either party; just trying to make a little joke -- very little.)

The Giants are getting old, and their farm system is weak.  Where will the inexpensive youth come from that are needed to replace the veterans when they fade?  The Giants have been good at developing some decent starting players, and they may have struck some gold with Heliot Ramos.  Don't count on it yet, but he's more promising of potential stardom than anyone since Buster.

The Giants have the #2 overall pick, and will have correspondingly high picks in every round.

Still, they have a long way to go -- and this off-season they got older, not younger.

The day of reckoning will almost certainly come -- possibly as soon as a year from now.  Then we'll see how much the Giants will spend to stall it off again.

[rog]

The Giants have $143 million committed for the 2019 season. That's more than any team in baseball, although the Cubs are close behind. The Cubs are probably a little stronger than the Giants (and I'm a master of the obvious).

Barring unexpected re-signings, a year from now the Giants will need to replace both Andrew McCutchen and Pence. Strong seasons and hometown discounts could lead to one or even both being re-signed. The Giants will likely need at least one starting pitcher.

They'll have their hands full, likely needing to do at least as creative a job as this winter. Or spending even more.

Aside from the Red Sox, the Giants have committed more payroll this season than any other major league team. The Giants have committed $40 million more than the White Sox, Phillies and Athletics combined. They have committed more than any two of the bottom 10 spenders.

In other words, this talk about the Giants' being cheap is cheap. But they may have to go all out soon. All out as in perhaps having to spend more money than any other team. Remember, part of the reason teams are so eager to get under the Competitive Balance Tax threshold this season is so they can spend big in 2019.

And remember, less money to spend without a reduction in players or their salary expectations equals a very slow off-season -- not necessarily collusion.

The big dominoes are starting to fall, aren't they? Maybe the owners have colluded not to collude.