You do you then.
Baseball salaries grow exponentially: what you’re failing to realize a player who gets a pre-arbitration bonus now has a higher floor and when they eventually reach arbitration will undoubtedly file for a larger number based upon that floor in addition to other factors. So yes, it does hurt teams with limited payroll.
Yeah baseball salaries have exploded since 1990 when Yount was MLB’s highest paid player. If that’s the “nuanced discussion” I’m sorry I thought that was pretty obvious 20 years ago and old news by now.
Sure, teams want to sell hats and jerseys, which his why the Brewers have a half dozen different uniforms. The point you’re missing is there are only so many customers that want a hat and or jersey, and most of those people have a saturation point when they have bought enough hats and or jerseys. My point is in identifying additional ways to generate revenue when, like the Brewers, they have reached the saturation point for ticket sales, media rights, and merchandise and licensing, they are bad at it. But hey they’ll probably be rolling out the Cervaceros jerseys soon for those who have another $150 to burn in the Team Store.