“We’re Going to Lose”: Yankees Star Reflects on Harsh Reality of Playing in Low-Payroll Team Before Bronx Move

Not every team in the major league invests in championship dreams. Some simply invest enough to survive in the league. It’s a harsh reality check to accept that the odds will always be against you in the game–at least, that’s what a former Miami Marlins star believes. It’s immensely heartbreaking, and it’s a nightmare for every athlete in the world of professional sports. Now that the former Marlins star is with the New York Yankees, the multi-billion-dollar team, he reflected on his days in Miami.

It’s none other than Yankees’ second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. Yes, undoubtedly during that time, he achieved the title of All-Star. But that was just on the surface. Beneath it, nothing really worked out for him. Don’t get this wrong–he had an immense love for playing baseball. But playing for the Marlins, he always felt that contagious feeling of losing.

Hear it from the man himself. Chisholm Jr. reportedly admitted, “You kind of don’t want to go out there, but you just have to,” via Andy McCullough of The Athletic. Perhaps, it’s a feeling that can just be felt, not expressed in words. He further added, “Like, you do want to go out there, but you don’t at the same time. You love playing Major League Baseball, but at the same time.” Now that Chisholm Jr. is a Yankee, things have turned around for him.

It was difficult for him to look back, mainly because, “It s–ks going out there knowing, ‘Damn, we’re probably going to lose today.” We are sure you’re wondering why the Marlins always had the winning odds against them, right? Keep in mind that they have a payroll of $69.1 million, the lowest in the major league. Let’s take a recent example.

The Marlins have made only one significant commitment in free agency: a $4.5 million contract for pitcher Cal Quantrill. So, the point is, they don’t really invest in veterans. Instead, they spend less and focus on young prospects.

While the Marlins’ approach highlights the challenges faced by low-spending teams, it’s just one example of a much larger issue–Major League Baseball’s widening payroll gap, where the disparity between top and bottom teams has never been more pronounced.

Marlins’ low spending underscores MLB payroll disparity

The growing payroll gap in MLB can’t be ignored. The difference between big payroll teams and low payroll teams is easy to spot. Take the Los Angeles Dodgers, for example. The Dodgers have a massive $325.9 million payroll. If you add their projected competitive balance tax, the overall value comes to exactly $476.5 million. In contrast, the other teams, let’s say the Pittsburgh Pirates, hold the payroll as low as $91.4 million. The massive gap can’t be overlooked.

And we just talked about the Marlins. With the payroll value of $69.1 million, they rank lowest in the league, for that matter. Adding to your facts, their ace, Sandy Alcantara, alone makes $17.3 million. That would be the quarter of the Marlins’ payroll. That sounds almost unbelievable, right?

You already know how big-budget teams like the Dodgers always have better odds of winning when compared to teams like the Marlins. It came to light recently that the teams with the top payrolls have mostly brought glory in the World Series.

The MLB Players Association has suggested that the league should encourage franchises to invest more in order to level the playing field. Now that you know the massive payroll gap in Major League Baseball, you should realize that this disparity can affect the future of the league more than you might think.

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