Royals general manager deftly sidesteps talk of a possible MLB salary cap
Following the Dodgers’ World Series victory, Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino explained that Major League Baseball really doesn’t need a salary cap.
Some fans had been calling for a cap because the Dodgers’ payroll was $350 million, the highest in baseball this season. By comparison, the Royals’ payroll was less than half that: $133.5 million, according to Spotrac.
While talking with reporters Tuesday, Royals general manager J.J. Picollo was asked about the possibility of a salary cap coming to Major League Baseball. The collective-bargaining agreement ends after the 2026 season, and a salary cap could be a key point in labor discussions.
Picollo deftly sidestepped the issue.
“That’s above our pay grade. We don’t have anything to do with that. That’s at a much higher level,” Picollo said. “But I’ve said this all along, we know who we are. It doesn’t bother us that the game is the way it is today. I mean, it is what it is. And we can sit there and hope the game goes in a certain direction, but if we did that, we’re wasting time. We need to figure out how we need to be, how we can be efficient, to make good decisions, capitalize on the margins, make smart acquisitions, develop players and compete to win our division.
“You know, if we win our division, we’re playing in October. And as we know, and we’ve seen it with a lot of teams, getting to October, anything can happen. There’s so many things to get through October that have to line up that’s not worth getting into right now. But we know what we have to deal with, and whatever the rules of engagement are, that’s what we’re following. That’s how we’re going to operate.”
