Sports

One-game wild-card playoff only misstep in new MLB plan

The major leagues delivered the right playoff system — almost.

As part of a new collective bargaining agreement, which likely is to be announced as early as tomorrow, there will be two additional wild-card teams, likely beginning in 2012.

That is the proper decision because it gives greater advantages to division winners and, particularly, to the teams with the best records in each league. But it should be a best-of-three wild-card round rather than the single-game elimination almost certain to be installed.

In the system that has been in use, the only disincentive in being the wild card was potentially playing one fewer home game in the Division Series. Thus, there were instances when teams conceded going all out to win the division in order to be best rested and set up for the postseason.

But in the new system, wild cards will play each other simply to get into the Division Series. Thus, teams will fight like heck to try to win their divisions to avoid an extra series. In addition, teams will emphasize getting the best record in each league because that club would play a theoretically exhausted wild-card round winner in the Division Series.

The problem comes with the single-elimination game. For it is a poor decision to have a team’s 162-game season come down to winner-take-all.

It is one thing if two teams finish tied for a playoff spot and you add essentially a 163rd game to break the tie. But if the top-seeded wild card, for example, wins 94 games and the second seed wins 87, it is just unfair that the 94-win team could be eliminated in a single game.

Imagine, for example, that the Yankees and Red Sox both go into the last game of the season with 94 wins. Meanwhile, the Angels have 87 wins and are too far back to catch the division-leading Rangers in the final few days of the season, but have a big lead for the second wild card. Thus, the Angels could set themselves up for the single wild-card game.

With so much at stake in winning the division, however, the Yankees and Red Sox have to use their aces in Game 162. The team that ends up the wild card has, therefore, used its best starter and is at a disadvantage in the wild-card game despite having a significantly better record than the second wild card.

At least a best-of-three allows the superior team from the regular season to try to make amends for a singular bad day while not delaying the Division Series too long. The wild-card round could be played the first three days after the regular season ends and the Division Series can begin on the fourth. This year, for example, there were two off-days between the end of the regular season and the NL playoffs, so we are just talking about one extra off-day. Plus, playing so many days in a row is another burden for the wild-card teams.

The big push to make this a one-game knockout is coming from MLB’s TV partners, who like the theater (and ratings) from a sudden-death game. But this is another moment when MLB should not be slaves to the networks and sacrifice what is right for the game. The networks are seduced by the one-game playoffs needed in 2007, 2008 and 2009 — three thrilling one-run games, two of which went to extra innings.

But not all of these one-game playoffs will be this exciting. In fact, it is just as possible that a three-game series will be more poignant, considering that it is a series, but a brief one. Most important, it would be fairer to teams that work six months not to let their seasons end in one bad day.

Marlins’ public courting of Reyes could backfire

Jose Reyes very well may benefit from the Marlins’ public boldness early in the free-agent process.

Historically, the Marlins have been a covert organization, doing business with few leaks and little fanfare. But opening a new stadium and wanting to create ticket-buying interest, the organization took on a new name (Miami Marlins), a new logo (go online, it is hideous) and a new strategy, doing little to stop the information from flowing that it already had made offers to several big free agents, including Albert Pujols and Reyes.

Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria insisted this was not a publicity stunt. Fine. But when you make this kind of public spectacle, your fans now expect the team to come through and finish the deal by actually adding stars.

Loria tried to downplay that theory.

“I never feel pressure to do anything ever,” he said. “But it is a new environment in every way.”

One person who spoke to Marlins officials said he walked away with the impression that the nine-year offer to Pujols was “underwhelming” and beneath what St. Louis offered last spring. Thus, the feeling is the Cardinals remain the strong favorite to retain their star.

Reyes is more to Miami’s financial acceptance. Also, will Marlins’ fans really be reach-deep-into-the-wallet excited if Miami’s big sign is, say, C.J. Wilson? Reyes is a star, at a time when the Marlins are trying to enlist stars to improve their standing — in the NL East and with their fans.

The Marlins’ first offer was believed to be for six years at somewhere between $80 million and $90 million. It suggests room to grow into the $100 million-plus range Reyes wants, while being an area the Mets are unlikely to follow with their own bid.

Yankees may pitch offers for ChiSox hurlers

The Yankees do not like the free-agent and trade requests so far on starting pitching. But they are motivated to find a strong 200-inning piece, and an early read is to watch White Sox lefties — Mark Buehrle in free agency or John Danks in a trade.

The Yankees seem unwilling to go beyond a four-year offer for C.J. Wilson, who is likely to command a five- or even a six-year deal at more than the $82.5 million that A.J. Burnett received. If the Yankees can keep Buehrle to two years with an option or three years, his steadiness (11 straight seasons of 200 innings) becomes even more attractive.

The White Sox also have made it clear Danks is available. Right now, an AL assistant general manager said, they are looking for an ace return. But that could come down as Danks moves closer to an arbitration process that should net him a 2012 salary of $8 million or more, particularly because Chicago is in rebuilding mode and Danks is a free agent after the season.

One Yankees official noted GM Brian Cashman and White Sox GM Kenny Williams “work well together.” The Yankees do not want to give up any of their top three prospects (Jesus Montero, Manuel Banuelos or Dellin Betances), but the White Sox have liked players such as Austin Romine and Hector Noesi in the past.

The Yankees also have a blueprint for this kind of trade. Yankees fans might not have fond memories of Javier Vazquez, but he finished fourth in the NL Cy Young in 2009, was entering his walk year in 2010 and was due $11.5 million. To obtain him from Atlanta, the Yankees gave up one of their better prospects (Arodys Vizcaino) plus Melky Cabrera and Mike Dunn. A trade of Romine, Noesi and Brandon Laird would be somewhat equivalent.