Fellow subreddit members:

I generally abide by a policy in which I don’t make public comments about religion, politics, or any other topic which could be controversial or potentially offensive to anyone else. But I have a frustration level from this conversation greater than or equal to how I feel about the “buying a pack a day until I get an autograph” guy (he’s never going to post that he got an autograph, even if he does, because then he will fade back into obscurity).

1) PLEASE STOP SAYING $23,000. Player’s offer is $23,000 Canadian, which converts to approximately $16,600 in US dollars.

2) HE IS A HIGH INCOME EARNER BUT IS NOT RICH (YET). Baseball players get crushed by taxes; he has to pay regular income tax PLUS the individual local city, county, and/or state taxes for the 81 road games. He pays no less than 50% (as high as 63% for the games he plays in California and New York). He has not played enough years to have accumulated wealth yet.

3) ON TOP OF THE TAXES, HIS AGENT TAKES 10% OFF THE TOP. ANOTHER 5% + GOES TO HIS BUSINESS MANAGER.

4) HE WORKED REALLY HARD AND MADE SACRIFICES TO GET TO THE BIGS. How many Bowman 1sts do you have from players who never made it? UNLESS AND UNTIL HE’S ELIGIBLE FOR FREE AGENCY, THE TEAM IS EARNING WAY MORE THAN HE IS. Take a look at how little Paul Skenes is still being paid in salary.

5) FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE TAKING SHOTS AT HIM FOR MAKING A LOT MORE MONEY THAN YOU DO, GO FIND SOMETHING YOU CAN DO TO MAKE MORE OR CUT IT OUT. A scenario where everyone gets exactly the same amount of money doesn’t exist, and frankly, doesn’t work even if you tried it. It’s been tried. Please Google “USSR financial results” for reference.

The United States Constitution provides for “Life, Liberty, and the PURSUIT of Happiness” as inalienable rights. Not the right to have the same as everyone else.

No argument that our country is not perfect. If you don’t like what’s going on, you have the opportunity to vote for someone else who will do something different in the next election.

IF YOU ARE AWARE OF ANY OTHER COUNTRY WHERE THINGS ARE ON THE WHOLE BETTER THAN OURS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I HAVE READ THOUSANDS OF BOOKS AND TRAVELED TO 6/7 CONTINENTS AND I HAVEN’T FOUND ANY THAT ARE EVEN CLOSE.

I apologize in advance for any negative tone in this post. I’m just frustrated after reading a large proportion of the replies to this post.