Orioles' Hall of Fame broadcaster throws cold water on potential SP targets

When we look at the state of MLB's free agent market, it's best to look at it through the lens of the entire revenue pool. Major League Baseball is a $10 billion enterprise, and when you look at revenue data by team, you start to see how these front offices justify giving out massive contracts, sometimes in excess of $700 million.

Still, when it comes to starting pitchers, the idea of a $300 million contract might seem a bit off base. Pitchers today are tasked with throwing so many fewer innings compared to guys who pitched 15+ years ago, and some people are bound to ask what it is these guys actually do to deserve these hefty paydays.

Orioles' Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Palmer is no different. Palmer is in a unique position to speak about this, as he was one of the best pitchers of his era - his 68.5 bWAR is good for 39th most of all time. However, that was a completely different environment compared to today. Palmer started 40 games in 1976, and surpassed the 300 innings mark in four seasons. We haven't had a 300 inning pitcher since Steve Carlton in 1980, and the idea of a starting pitcher in today's game throwing 300 innings in a season is nothing more than a myth.

Orioles' broadcaster Jim Palmer has some thoughts about today's starting pitchers

Despite that, Palmer took to Twitter yesterday and expressed some thoughts about the highest paid pitchers in today's game, and the players available in the free agent market. Predictably, the post reads as Palmer complaining about pitchers making an exorbitant amount of money for their limited number of starts.

To be clear, I don't think Palmer is making this argument in bad faith. He clarifies in a follow-up reply that his point was that signing starting pitchers to long-term, nine-figure contracts is a risky venture. Which, yes, of course it is. All long-term deals carry some level of risk, and typically signing pitchers is more risky than signing hitters.

But the point about these guys making X million per start is a bit out of touch. Players make these massive salaries because there is so much money in the game. And because teams so severely underpay for pre-arbitration years, the bulk of that money goes to aging veterans, who inevitably will miss more time, and carry more risk than their younger counterparts.

Palmer is right that betting on pitchers to stay healthy is a loser's game. Especially in today's era where the prevailing idea is to throw max velocity, all of the time, and damn the ligament damage. The rate of pitchers who undergo Tommy John surgery, or some variant of it, is staggering. And if you sign a pitcher for 8 years, you might only get 5 or 6 good ones, if that.

But these guys are getting paid market rate value for their performance. Consistently increasing salaries is good for the health of the sport. We shouldn't knock these guys for the amount of money they're getting. They've earned it.