Manfred: Small-market World Series good for game, but cap still needed

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred says the Tampa Bay Rays' clash with the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series is good for baseball — but it has not shaken his belief that the sport needs a salary cap.

Speaking on the field before Game 1 in Milwaukee, Manfred told ESPN's Jesse Rogers that the Brewers' first World Series appearance in 44 years only strengthens the case for a cap. "I think it shows that we leave a lot on the table in some of our smaller markets by not having them have an opportunity to compete on a regular basis," he said, adding: "The Brewers have been a well-run franchise forever. It's been 40 years since we're here. Once every 40 years is not enough."

Bruce Meyer, interim executive director of the players' union, pushed back, arguing any team can do what Milwaukee and Tampa Bay have done — though he admitted that without spending, sustained winning is unlikely. "The salary cap is the opposite of competition," Meyer said. "The salary cap tells teams you can't compete too much."

Manfred countered that larger markets have "a very statistically significant advantage" in reaching the playoffs and going deeper, and said there is a strong relationship between market size, payroll and playoff success over the last two decades. Meyer dismissed the league's competitive-balance case as a "charade," claiming owners really want higher profits and franchise values.

With the current collective bargaining agreement expiring at the end of next month, the gap between the sides could bring a work stoppage in December, when players would have no contact with teams and league business would halt. Manfred said there is "an unprecedented level of unanimity among ownership" behind the push for a cap, while Meyer said owners would be choosing a lockout.