Mark Attanasio, Brewers owner, backs MLB salary cap plan as World Series looms
Brewers owner Mark Attanasio told WFAN he favors a hard salary cap and floor for baseball, joining other club owners on record for the plan as his team heads into the World Series.
Why Mark Attanasio is trending
Mark Attanasio is trending because the Brewers owner waded into baseball's salary cap fight this week, telling WFAN he backs a hard cap and a salary floor for MLB. The comments landed as Attanasio's Brewers get set to open the World Series on Friday against the Rays, putting him in front of a bigger audience than usual. He is scheduled to speak with reporters again on Thursday before that series starts.
Attanasio's remarks did not come out of nowhere. They followed similar comments from other club owners earlier in the week, with the conversation around MLB's economics building ahead of the World Series.
What Attanasio told WFAN
Attanasio pointed to other leagues when making his case for a cap. Asked about the economics of the sport, he said, 'What's worked in other leagues?' and raised the question of what actually gives a team the best shot at a championship.
He did not go into further detail on numbers or thresholds. The comments were brief, delivered while the Brewers were preparing for the World Series, but they added his name to a growing list of owners on record favoring a cap system for baseball.
Other owners pushing the same plan
Attanasio is not alone. White Sox co-owner Mat Ishbia, who also owns the NBA's Suns and the WNBA's Mercury, told Front Office Sports he supports a hard cap paired with a floor. Ishbia, along with his brother Justin, owns about 40 percent of the White Sox, with Justin set to take over club control from longtime chairman Jerry Reinsdorf in stages.
Ishbia said having a salary cap 'does make sense for the business.' He also pointed to the NBA's rules, where teams must spend close to the cap, saying 'I can't pay only $70 million to just sit there.' He added there's probably a compromise ahead, while noting that as a minority owner he does not have a say in the outcome.
Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner, who sits on MLB's labor policy committee, has said he supports management's proposals, including the cap and floor, 'in their entirety.' Yankees president Randy Levine has separately said he is 'confident' MLB will avoid a lockout despite the fight over the cap.
What's known, what isn't, and what's next
What's known: Attanasio, Ishbia and Steinbrenner have all stated support for a hard cap and floor, and those proposals are part of MLB's active labor talks with the players' union, which has also faced owner proposals restricting free agency.
What's not known: there is no word yet on where the talks currently stand, whether a deal is close, or how the players' union has responded to Attanasio's comments specifically.
What's next: Attanasio is set to speak with reporters again on Thursday, a day before the Brewers open the World Series against the Rays. Labor talks between owners and the players' union continue.
Facts per Fox News, Front Office Sports. Opinion is the taproom's.