MLB commissioner fuels much-debated salary cap speculations amid growing gulf between big-spending teams and the rest

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred admitted on Tuesday that there is a huge disparity in terms of spending across the league. He said that he hopes to bridge that gap sooner rather than later.

He conceded to Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman (the hosts of the baseball podcast "The Show") that he might even have to introduce a hard salary cap, as the small-market owners were unhappy about big-market owners’ spending.

"MLB commissioner Rob Manfred talks about Steve Cohen's Mets spending during The Show's live taping at The Ainsworth NYC with @Joelsherman1 and @JonHeyman #Cadillac #sponsored," New York Post Sports, Twitter

There has been a stark comparison in the way the New York Mets and the Oakland Athletics have spent this offseason. But another very interesting point to note is their projected luxury-tax payroll.

The Mets' projected luxury-tax payroll in 2023 is estimated at a whopping $375.3 million. On the other hand, the Athletics only have a projected luxury-tax payroll of $77.1 million.

The MLB may be wary of introducing a salary cap like their other compatriots (the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLS) have adopted, but Manfred believes in truism and that the majority is almost always correct.

“I don’t think anybody on the club side has made up their mind that a salary cap [system] is necessarily the answer. We have, over a long period of time, avoided making the salary-cap proposal,” Manfred said.

“But there is one truism that is hard to hard to ignore: There are arguably … five major professional sports in North America. Four of them have one system. One of them has a different system. I’m sort of a believer in the idea that the majority eventually gets it right.

"When you’re the outlier, you have to ask yourself the question of: Does somebody else have the system right?”

So what does that indicate? Will Manfred introduce the salary cup much to the disgust of the players, or will the league continue functioning the way it does currently?

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred isn't worried about Steve Cohen's offseason splurge

Mets owner Steve Cohen might have spent wildly this offseason, but, Manfred conceded, all his transactions were consistent with the MLB's rules.

Cohen spent over an astounding $290 million this offseason on the likes of Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, Jose Quintana, and David Robertson. He also brought back Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz, and Adam Ottavino.

“What Steve spent in the offseason was completely consistent with all of our rules. He perfectly had every right to spend those dollars,” the MLB commissioner said. “There are actually real benefits for the game associated with that spending. It does energize the Mets’ fan base."

Manfred also suggested that he does not view Cohen and his expansive budget as bad for the game. In fact, he believes that blockbuster signings like the ones the Mets have made are exactly the kind of energy that gets the fans the home fans ecstatic.