As the MLB world continues to debate a potential future salary cap and how it could impact teams in big and small markets alike, one question has remained remarkably consistent: Will small-market teams actually pay up for their players if their more financially successful counterparts are capped out of free agency?
While the conditions of a new salary cap-impacted version of MLB remain to be seen, according to Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic, the potential of a new paradigm could force smaller market teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Miami Marlins to pay up now in order to prove they are deserving of a larger portion of a future revenue share.
“There is a possibility of a fight among clubs over revenue sharing, with the smaller markets seeing a greater contribution. The payors (large-market clubs) will argue that insufficient revenue-sharing funds are being spent on player acquisition,” agent Seth Levinson told The Athletic.
“Hence, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the smaller markets compete for talent in the free-agent market to convince the payors that they are committed to putting a better product on the field.”
While the World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers have been blasted considerably for spending over $350 million on their payroll, which is just under $8 million more than the No. 2 team, the New York Mets, they have unquestionably put plenty of their revenue back on the field with a star-studded roster. The 79-83 Marlins, by contrast, paid just 19 percent of that total, falling $32.2 million below the $100 million threshold in 2025 at $67.8 million. If the Marlins and Pirates, who paid $84.4 million in 2025, decide to pay up and field more competitive teams in the future, the real winner will be baseball fans around the world.
