When San Francisco Giants right-handed pitcher Matt Cain and Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto signed huge contracts Monday, they changed the future financial scope of Major League Baseball.
Cain’s five-year, $112.5 million contract extension is the largest deal for a right-handed pitcher, and Votto agreed to play the next 10 seasons in Cincinnati for a measly $225 million.
While both these players are deserving of the money, these giant paychecks are slowly ruining the parity in baseball.
Yes, a different team has won the World Series in 10 of the past 11 seasons, but that will begin to change.
Simply put, teams in small markets will soon be unable to pay their star players.
In 2010, Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Justin Upton agreed to a six-year, $51.25 million deal.
While Votto’s career numbers are better than Upton’s, he is also older. When Diamondbacks fans see Votto’s contract, they should begin to worry about the 2013 offseason. When Upton becomes a free agent, the price tag will likely be enormous.
The Diamondbacks will likely have a choice to make, and it will be between putting a lot of above average players together to try to win a ring or paying Upton what he deserves and have a sub-par supporting cast.
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