Rays-Brewers: This Will Prompt Owners to Spend Even Less

The Milwaukee Brewers, who advanced to the World Series by sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in four games, have the 19th-highest payroll in MLB, while their opponents, the Tampa Bay Rays, rank 25th in that category.

The last time both league champions ranked in the bottom half of Major League Baseball in terms of payroll was when the Minnesota Twins (15th out of 26 teams) defeated the Atlanta Braves (19th) in the 1991 Fall Classic.

To add another layer to the story, the American League Championship Series finalists, the Cleveland Guardians, have the smallest payroll in the entire Manfred era. Furthermore, the combined salaries of players on the Brewers, Guardians, and Rays are lower than those of teams like the Dodgers and New York's two rivals, the Mets and the Yankees.

And the success of these low-budget teams reignites the debate over a potential salary cap (and floor)—the main issue in the upcoming collective bargaining agreement negotiations.

Indeed, according to Jim Bowden on Foul Territory, several team owners are already using the postseason runs of Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Tampa Bay to justify keeping their own payrolls low, arguing that significant spending in this area isn't necessary to have a team contending for major honors.

Two general managers told me that owners are saying that if Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Tampa can do it, there's no reason to increase our payroll.

This is further evidence that there won't be a salary cap, as the players' union will drive home the point that smart player development and internal management can overcome financial disparities. And some owners already agree.

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