Market Discipline

Right now, the MLB Network is in love with Shohei Ohtani, who’s followed up an atrocious spring with a hot start to the season.  None of the talking heads seems nearly as interested with Yasmany Tomas, whom the Diamondbacks outrighted to their Triple-A affiliate on Tuesday.  But I bet MLB Network couldn’t say enough about Tomas back in 2014.

That’s when Arizona signed him to a six-year, $68.5 million contract with expectations that the 24-year old Cuban national was the next big thing; only he wasn’t.  In three seasons, Tomas has hit .268 with 48 homeruns and 163 RBIs.  If his offense has been OK, his defense has proven considerably less, with failed tryouts in both the infield and outfield.  So, rather than play the contract, Arizona has in effect admitted its mistake, which will still require them to pay off the entirety of Tomas’ contract.

This is why baseball is superior to pro football, were teams can wiggle out of a bad deal by guaranteeing only a portion of a player’s contract.  Baseball may be a boys’ game (and for that I apologize to my daughter), but it still makes front offices take responsibility for grown-up mistakes.

Too bad that sense of responsibility only goes so far.  There’s a link, direct or otherwise, between the Diamondbacks signing Tomas and then trying to force changes in its lease agreement and improvements to Chase Field.  In my fantasy world, where girls get to play baseball through college and beyond if they want, Congress would pass legislation requiring a professional sports’ team to pay back the construction costs of its publicly funded stadium out of the proceeds stemming from the team’s subsequent sale.

Now, that would instill real market discipline, just like what happens around kitchen tables all across America when folks sit down to pay their bills.  No bailouts or do-overs for us, then none for you.