Manfred says the Brewers' first World Series in 44 years is more proof MLB needs a salary cap

Two small-market teams reached the World Series, and Rob Manfred looked at that and saw an argument for 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," the commissioner said on the field Friday before Game 1 in Milwaukee. "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."

Bruce Meyer, the interim head of the players' association, held his own session near the first-base dugout and saw the same matchup the opposite way. He called the owners' cap proposal from this summer a "nuclear bomb."

"The salary cap is the opposite of competition," Meyer said. "The salary cap tells teams you can't compete too much. ... The results of these playoffs obviously further undermine their argument for why they think they want it."

Here is what's on the table. MLB's proposal would cap 2027 spending at $245.3 million using luxury-tax payroll figures, limit any one player to 15% of a team's payroll and cap free agent deals at $265 million over six years, according to the Associated Press. Juan Soto's deal with the Mets is $765 million over 15 years.

Manfred says owners are unusually united on this and that the league's fan polling backs a cap. "If you look at our results, not one year but over the last two decades, there is a very strong relationship between market size, payroll and your chances to get in the playoffs," he said. Brewers owner Mark Attanasio is one of the owners pushing for it, Front Office Sports reported.

Meyer's answer is that the Brewers have had the best record in baseball two years running. "This is really about their desire to make more money in the form of profits and increase franchise values," he said. "The rest of it is a charade."

Both sides have a point they would rather you not look at too closely. The Brewers were 19th in payroll on Aug. 31 and the Rays 25th, per the AP, so the union gets its proof that anyone can get here. Before this year, Milwaukee hadn't been to a World Series since 1982, which is Manfred's point.

The contract runs out Dec. 1, and owners are expected to lock out the players right away. That could put the start of spring training on Feb. 9 and opening day on March 24 at risk. The last time MLB proposed a cap, in 1994, the strike that followed canceled the World Series.