Capped Ambitions and the Illusion of Balance

Baseball feels more balanced than ever, but the politics behind the payrolls tell a different story.

Bryce Harper heard Rob Manfred talk about a salary cap and didn't mince words.
“Absolute bullshit,” he said. “It would ruin the game.”

There it was. A franchise player, $330 million man, standing at his locker and calling it like he sees it. Harper said he chose Philadelphia because the Phillies weren’t afraid to spend. He likes it that way. He sees spend…