But again you are ignoring the selection bias. Teams in a position to make the playoffs add salary, those that are not in the position cut salary. Last year the Marlins had a top 15 salary and when it became clear they would not make the playoffs they cut salary to the point of being in the bottom 10. This was a team that was the biggest spender in the off season but probably fits in the bottom 15 list. This is also kind of a goofy way to look at things in the first place since the difference between the 8th highest payroll and the 20th most seasons is miniscule. Nobody complains about the 14th highest payroll in baseball having a competitive advantage, it is really just the top 4 or 5 that get the complains. The mid 2000s were definitely a dark time, it was before a lot of the revenue sharing was really impacting things and when the teams could basically just ignore the luxury tax. I think the past 3 years showing a 15-11 ratio says a lot. If baseball can keep things so that somewhere around that ratio stays it is in a good place. Also a salary cap is one way to change things and it causes a load of problems of its own. There are other ways to adjust the game and they have been doing it for a few years now. I think those results show they are on the right path if anything.