It's in the Cards: Adding Another Wildcard to Major League Baseball

Isn't it interesting all the factors that can determine whether a team is a buyer or seller at the trade deadline.Contracts, performance, and position all have an impact.

Take for instance, the New York Mets. They are a team that is currently dealing with all three of the above issues. Last week they unloaded closer Francisco Rodriguez to get out from under his devastatingly high option for next year and they likely will move more pieces before the deadline.

Teams have certain auras about them and the Mets don't look like a great team. However, they are over .500 as I type this (47-46). This isn't a team that's a disaster, just one that has been stuck in mediocrity for some time, despite the presence of some top dollar names (Rodriguez, David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Johan Santana).

This year, unfortunately for the Mets, just being over .500 isn't going to cut it. Despite the less than awful record, they still find themselves a whopping 11 games out of first; which makes them sellers at the deadline.

A team like the 2011 Mets is an example of why I am so in favor of adding a second wild card team to each league, which Major League Baseball has begun discussing. If that were to happen, the Mets (hypothetically) would be just two and a half games out of that second spot.

Some argue that adding a second wildcard slot just gives mediocre teams/talent more of a chance. While that's marginally true, recent history doesn't really support that worry. The addition would also keep a much higher percentage of fans engaged through September seeing as more teams would remain in contention. The NFL season begins in the first part of September. As much as I love baseball, after the long grind of the season and my team has fallen out of contention, my attention shifts to the upcoming football season. I'm thinking I'm not the only one.

While there would be some instances where a less than stellar team would creep into the would-be Wildcard round due to the extra slot, in the last ten years, the worst record of a team that hypothetically would have taken that slot was 85-77 ('04 Twins and '06 Phillies). However, there have been nine teams who won 90 or more games that would have taken extra spot.

By the numbers since 2001, of the hypothetical 20 extra spots (two per year), nine would have been taken by teams with 90 or more wins, nine by teams who won between 86-89 games, and two would be taken by the aforementioned teams at 85 wins. Hardly mediocre talent. Maybe not historic talent, but certainly strong enough to make the case. That doesn't even count the rare years when there are two teams in the same league with 90 or more wins that don't make it (Re: 2002 Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners both finished 93-69, though neither made the playoffs).

Not only do I believe the extra wildcard slots will put more teams in contention and be better for baseball, it also adds an incentive to winning the division. Now, there is no real penalty for winning the wildcard versus the division. What Major League Baseball is talking about is adding a one game playoff between the two wildcard teams from each league. While I'd rather see a best of three scenario, this puts a huge penalty on winning the wildcard. I think it's great. Hopefully, Major League Baseball (and its fans) will also.

Sources

Sports Illustrated

MLB Standings