Rob Manfred's salary cap argument overlooks what Reds need most

Would a salary cap (and salary floor) help the Cincinnati Reds compete? Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred seems to think so. Manfred was on hand for the start of the World Series last week in Milwaukee, and he spoke about the need for a salary cap despite having two small-market teams represented in the Fall Classic.

"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," Manfred said as he reiterated the desire of MLB owners to impose a salary cap. "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."

On the surface Manfred's comments probably resonate with the majority of Reds fans. Cincinnati's World Series drought is quickly approaching that 44-year hiatus the Brewers just overcame. The Reds haven't been to the World Series since their wire-to-wire win in 1990 (36 years).

But Manfred's comments are a bit disingenuous. The Brewers haven't been a "a well-run franchise forever." In fact, there was a 26-year span between playoff appearances from the organization's World Series run in 1982 until their return to the playoffs in 2008. And Milwaukee only had a winning record in six of those 26 seasons.

The Brewers faithful then endured a 10-year stretch when the club only reached the playoffs twice, including a 4-2 series loss at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2011 NLCS. Milwaukee has since flipped the script and have been to the postseason eight of the past nine seasons.

But the Brewers' success has been a long time in the making. Former general manager David Stearns — who now leads the Baseball Operations department for the New York Mets — took over for former GM Doug Melvin in 2015.

Stearns slowly, but surely, began to revamp the innerworkings of the Brewers' front office and farm system. Farm director Reid Nichols was replaced by Tom Flanagan in 2016, and a year later scouting director Ray Montgomery was supplanted by Tod Johnson. Both men have held those respective roles until this day despite Matt Arnold taking over for Stearns in 2023.

A salary cap won't save the Reds if Nick Krall is still running the show

This is where the Reds fall short. When looking to find someone to blame for Cincinnati's shortcomings, fans have a tendency to look at the on-field product (players and coaches) or the ownership. And yes, they all have a part to play in the overall lack of team success, but the Reds have had the same folks working in the front office for decades.

Nick Krall, Brad Meador, Jeff Graupe, and others have been at or near the top of the decision-making tree for over 10 years. Yes, ownership has foolishly continued to employ Krall and Co., there's no disputing that, but to bring the conversation back to Manfred's comments, a salary cap won't keep the Reds' front office from making bad decisions.

Spending matters, yes. When organizations like the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and others back up a Brink's truck full of money and sign yet another All-Star to already-loaded roster, it can create an uneven playing field. But as the Brewers (and Rays) have proven, even small-market franchises can create a sustainable model if they use their resources wisely.

All a salary cap is going to do — at least with this Reds front office — is cause Cincinnati's braintrust to make even more costly mistakes. Those same organizations who've always made shrewd and prudent signings will simply adapt their style to fit the new budgetary constraints. All the while, those franchises who constantly bungle their operations will continue to do just that — and spend more money doing it.

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