Joc Pederson, Dallas Keuchel call out Cleveland Guardians for having low payroll

Both Dallas Keuchel and Joc Pederson have called out the Cleveland Guardians for maintaining such a low payroll – but will it make a difference? 

More so than in past years it seems, players around baseball are publicly voicing their opinions about the sorry state of some teams’ payrolls – including that of the Cleveland Guardians.

This week alone, White Sox pitcher Dallas Keuchel and newly signed Giants outfielder Joc Pederson have voiced their opinions on the low payrolls in baseball, singling out the Guardians as an example.

Keuchel, while complimenting Cleveland’s ability to stay competitive within the AL Central, expressed a desire for the team to ultimately spend more money. Though he plays for a division rival, his quote doesn’t come off as trying to antagonize the team or anything  – he’s simply making a good point.

Pederson, on the other hand, was much more pointed in his criticism, saying he’s “embarrassed” for the fan bases of teams like the Guardians, Pirates, and Orioles, who currently have some of the lowest payrolls in the game.

Depending on who you believe, the Guardians may have been interested in signing Pederson this offseason. He ultimately signed a one-year, $6 million deal with San Francisco, which makes one wonder if Cleveland really did look to bring him in, because that is about as affordable as a player like Pederson can get on the open market.

And with the way he’s calling out these low-spending teams, there’s a good chance the Guardians were never really in the running to sign him. Either that or he just really doesn’t like Cleveland.

All that being said, it’s refreshing to see players offering their thoughts on payrolls like this. This lockout showed that baseball players connect with fans better than ever, and they deserve to hold more power not just in public perception, but in the actual inner workings of the game itself. Though it’s doubtful the Dolans care all that much in this case, it’s still a pretty embarrassing thing to be called out like this twice in the same week as the team continues to sit on its hands.

And with these types of opinions now becoming more public-facing, one wonders if this makes it that much harder for a team like the Guardians to sign a free agent. If the perception is that your team simply won’t do enough to put a winning team on the field, who will ever want to play here?

If there were ever a time for the Guardians to try and change that perception, this would be it, but don’t hold your breath. Not for now, at least.

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