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The Milwaukee Brewers' stunning victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the playoffs has disrupted the narrative that surrounded the salary cap debate as the offseason begins. The question on many minds is whether this outcome will influence the upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations. James Attwood doubts it will have any real effect, pointing out that while the Brewers have a smaller market and payroll than the Dodgers, their advancement might actually strengthen the MLBPA's resolve to protect player salaries. Attwood also notes that front offices are filled with intelligent individuals who understand that a single postseason series is too small a sample size to indicate a trend. He recalls similar overreactions after the Arizona Diamondbacks' 2023 World Series run and this year's calls to overhaul the seeding system due to a .500 team winning a division. According to Attwood, both owners and the union have likely already staked out their positions, and this playoff result will mostly fuel fan and pundit debates rather than alter CBA talks.
Wesley Baier believes the outcome will impact negotiations, but the extent is uncertain. He would be surprised if the MLBPA didn't use it as evidence against a salary cap, though he's unsure how effective that tactic will be. Spencer dismisses the idea entirely, emphasizing that anything can happen in a small sample size. He criticizes both owners and players as greedy, with owners seeking to exploit employees and customers for profit and players focused on the top earnings tiers. Spencer adds that fan outrage has never driven either side's actions. Justin27 points out that the Dodgers have reached the World Series in half of the last ten seasons and won three times, so their frequent success remains a concern. 1AZfan1 doubts the impact, noting that owners were already pushing for a cap and players were firmly against it before the Dodgers lost, and expects the negotiations to be ugly regardless. ISH95 sees it as a rallying cry for the MLBPA in the court of public opinion but doesn't think it will have a huge effect. He explains that without a salary cap, the Dodgers' loss sets them up for another spending explosion like after 2023, as their core ages and they replace players via trades and salary dumps. ISH95 concludes that nothing has really changed—it's just a broken clock situation.
Diamondbacks' Coaching Decisions Under Scrutiny
The Arizona Diamondbacks parted ways with pitching coach Brian Kaplan but retained hitting coach Joe Mather, prompting debate about whether this was the right call. James Attwood admits he was surprised by Kaplan's dismissal but thinks the team may be seeking new voices in pitching development to unlock more success from their arms. As for Mather, Attwood views his performance as adequate, noting that some struggling players like Nolan Arenado made successful in-season adjustments. He would only want to move on from Mather if his approach was clearly not resonating or if a highly regarded hitting guru were available, so retaining him seems fine. Wesley Baier disagrees, believing Mather should have been let go as well, and was unimpressed beyond Arenado's revival at the plate. Spencer assumes the decision was correct, suggesting Kaplan was a lame duck all year and the new pitching coach will be chosen with input from Jeremy Bleich. He is indifferent about Mather, arguing that coaches don't matter much on a major league team—they are sounding boards, and star players have personal coaches while others fight for roster spots. Justin27 is unsure, recalling that many wanted Kaplan gone after last season but noting he may have learned from his mistakes. If it were up to him, he would move on from both, though he doesn't know who he'd replace them with. Makakilo supports the decision due to sustainability concerns: in 2026, about 70% of total salary was allocated to pitching compared to 30% for position players, which is not sustainable. 1AZfan1 believes that if only one had to be kept, Mather was the right choice. The Diamondbacks' offense declined from 805 wRC last season to 723 this year, an 11% drop, but the Big 3 of Domo, CC, and Ketel accounted for 320 wRC last year and 261 this year, a 23% drop. The rest of the lineup had a modest 4% drop, which is respectable given the replacements of Geno Suarez with rookies and a low-cost Nolan Arenado. 1AZfan1 is fine with letting Jeremy Bleich pick his own pitching coach. ISH95 notes that a year ago, the answer would have been easy, as Kaplan's changes seemed to lead to more injuries and regression, but this year injuries were curtailed, the bullpen was average, and some pitchers overperformed. However, with a new pitching coordinator, he probably wants his own guy. For Mather, ISH95 is hesitant to make knee-jerk reactions after multiple good seasons and one bad one, but if struggles persist by the second month of next season, a change may be needed.
Payroll Reduction Plans for the Diamondbacks
Ken Kendrick announced on Arizona Sports that the team would be cutting payroll, leading to speculation about how the savings will be achieved. James Attwood expects most of the savings to come from letting free agents like Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Zac Gallen walk, which alone saves $26.025 million. Michael Soroka, Ryan Thompson, Kevin Ginkel, A.J. Puk, Jonathan Loaisiga, Taylor Clarke, and Pavin Smith are also likely to depart, adding another $21.575 million in savings. With those players leaving via free agency, there won't be many contracts left to trade. The team could explore trading Eduardo Rodriguez or Ketel Marte, but given the need for 3-4 more starters and Marte's 10/5 no-trade rights, Attwood doesn't see much movement of contracts to clear salary. Wesley Baier expects a combination of both approaches to maximize value. Spencer questions how many times Kendrick has said this, but thinks most savings will come from free agents walking. Gallen, Soroka, and Gurriel account for significant money, and only Soroka needs to be replaced. Spencer expects some trades to fill holes, and while he doesn't anticipate big money moving, trades of E-Rod, Kelly, or Marte wouldn't surprise him. In true Hazen fashion, he thinks it will be a mix: a medium/big free agent or trade splash, dumpster diving for bullpen arms, and buying a young MLB player or prospect with upside. Spencer believes Hazen excels in such deals and that the farm system finally has depth to fill emergency holes. He predicts a surprising signing, like Skubal at $50M/yr before a lockout, who then becomes a pumpkin but has a pretty not-terrible year three years from now. Justin27 sees relying on low-cost pre-arb players as a rebuild, but given the two options, he goes with that. Makakilo expects less salary for pitchers and more for position players. 1AZfan1 has an article in draft about trade candidates to open financial room, but views it as creating payroll space to spend in free agency rather than cutting talent. He doesn't think cost-cutting will be that drastic. ISH95 suspects most savings will come from expiring contracts, joking that replacing Gallen with a pitching machine would lower payroll by $22 million and team ERA by about 0.75. He could also see a salary-clearing move or two, such as trading Marte to one of three teams he wouldn't veto, clearing another $19 million, bringing total savings to $40 million plus other expiring contracts. The real question is how much of the savings will be reinvested to fill holes.
Banana Ball Lottery Draws Mixed Interest
Banana Ball is coming to Chase Field, and the writers share their thoughts on entering the ticket lottery. James Attwood will probably enter but needs to discuss it with his wife. Wesley Baier would love to go but doesn't think the trip to Phoenix, hotel, food, and other expenses are in his budget, even if he gets tickets. Spencer won't enter because he lives in Ohio, but he will attend performances in Cleveland and Cincinnati, needing some baseball next season since MLB can't be counted on. Justin27 won't go because the drive to Phoenix and back at night is terrible, and he can see why ST left. Makakilo notes Banana Ball will be in Honolulu on April 30 to May 1, 2027, and has entered that lottery. 1AZfan1 is not in the area so won't enter but might take his kids when it visits his area, though he's not sure he wants to spend money on it, but his boys would enjoy it. ISH95 jokes that none of the writers live in Phoenix, but both he and his wife have entered the lottery; it would be their second Bananas game, and they hope to make it.
Originally reported by yahoo.