The problem is that major league baseball has become a very unequal sport. It's not just that the playing field isn't level. It's as if, for the small-market teams, the foul poles are only twenty feet apart. The book, like the game itself, is largely about money. This year will be no exception.
Costas argues for more comprehensive revenue sharing.
Rather than just an even split of the income from national broadcasting, as is the case now, Costas wants a sharing of the gate receipts and even local-broadcasting revenue. It would reduce money's role as a determinant of who is competitive and who isn't. Costas also wants some constraints on salaries, but knows that the Players' Association will never accept a simple salary cap. Neither change would be simple to achieve. Large-market owners are unlikely to agree to give up their enormous advantages, at least until there is no other way.