D-Backs owner Kendrick wants revenue sharing, salary cap in MLB

Arizona Diamondbacks managing general partner Ken Kendrick thinks Major League Baseball would have an agreement to resume play by now if a revenue-sharing program between owners and players was already in place.

"All of the other major sports have revenue sharing," Kendrick told Arizona Sports 98.7's "Doug & Wolf" on Tuesday. "What would be happening right now - think about it - if this situation would have evolved and we would be in a revenue-sharing model? We would be acting as partners to get back together and put the game on the field. The very lack of a revenue-sharing model puts us in (an) adversarial position when we really ought to be partners in advancing the game and building the revenues because all will win under those circumstances."

Adopting this structure would likely result in a salary cap, and Kendrick supports that idea, arguing that salary caps in other leagues allow for more players to make more money.

"Our system is built around players not having any high-water mark on what they can earn," Kendrick said. "And what that generates is a very few players making even more money, frankly at the expense of their brothers. And why they don't see that as reality and why they are adamant about not building a system, you know, with proper controls on downside and upside and overall caps - there's a lot of money to be shared."

The NBA, which has a salary cap, is set to restart its season in July. Kendrick pointed to that league - and others like the NFL and NHL - as evidence for his claim.

"Are we right and the other leagues wrong? I think not," Kendrick said. "I believe the other leagues have it right and it avoids these labor conflicts to a great extent."

The NFL, NHL, and NBA each had a lockout in the period from 2011-13. The latter two leagues played shortened seasons following the stoppages.

In May, the union rejected MLB's proposal for a 50-50 split in revenue in an abbreviated 2020 campaign because it is against adopting a salary cap.

The current CBA, which is set to expire following the 2021 season, includes revenue-sharing provisions between teams, but they don't involve player salaries.

Kendrick recently made headlines when he described the union's 114-game proposal as a "non-starter" because it would potentially stretch the season into December.