Free Agency

Free Agent; a professional athlete who is free to negotiate a contract with any team. The definition of free agent is not a difficult concept and seems like a good idea if you are playing MLB 2005 (a popular baseball video game). While free agency has changed all sports, baseball has been impacted the most. It has made a very negative impact on the equality of the game of baseball.

The New York Yankees have an astronomical payroll of $209,938,439. That amount is over $88,000,000 greater than the second place team, Boston Red Sox, and $158,000,000 than the last place team, Kansas City Royals. How can the smallest of small market teams even compete with the goliaths of Major League Baseball? The Yankees highest paid players are Alex Rodriguez ($25,705,118) and Derek Jeter ($19,600,000). Their salaries combined are $45,305,118. Jeter and Rodriguez make more money than seven teams' entire payroll. The difference in payrolls in Major League Baseball is astonishing and as long as free agency is freely used, there will always be inequities.

The difference in payrolls has affected the balance of power in Major League Baseball. Not all teams can reasonably believe at the beginning of the season they have a chance to win the World Series. The Oakland A's and the Minnesota Twins are the two prominent small market teams that were able to keep up with the high rollers of Major League Baseball.

Year after year they lose their star players to big market teams because they can no longer afford them. How long can the A's and the Twins of small market teams compete while losing star players every year? Can baseball ever fix this problem? Is it a lost cause? I feel as long as there is no salary cap; the difference of power will continue to grow.