The LCS are opening up an interesting discussion for the Marlins

The Miami Marlins are not good at getting the fans to come to loanDepot Park. Attendance numbers are low and the team is well behind others in payrolls. The American League and National League Championship Series are under way, and three of the four teams have payrolls over $300 million! Does this make it clear that you need a high payroll to be competitive in the Major Leagues?

Payroll is an issue for the Miami Marlins going forward.

It's not a surprise that having a high payroll is a major way for a team to be competitive. The Los Angeles Dodgers have been in the playoffs every season since 2013, and consistently remain one of the teams with the highest payrolls in the Major Leagues. The New York Yankees and New York Mets are right there along with them.

We already know that Bruce Sherman is unlikely to ever put the Miami Marlins in the same financial position. This is a big reason why many fans want a new owner to put the team in better position to spend and win. How much The Fish should be spending has been a major topic for me. I see it as a major issue and ultimately want Major League Baseball to do something about it. It's just not right that a team in this market is spending so little.

All that said, the Cleveland Guardians are the fourth team in the LCS, and they're one of the teams with the lowest payrolls. Back in 2020, the Tampa Bay Rays won the American League pennant despite their consistently low payrolls. The Arizona Diamondbacks are not high spenders and won the National League pennant last season.

It's obvious that smart management and a good farm system are keys to competing annually. Even the Mets have been trying to improve the farm as a priority. The obvious takeaway from this, is that when a team doesn't spend much on their payroll, their margi for error is very small. The more a team spends the more likely they are to be consistently competitive. The Miami Marlins either need to spend more or have Peter Bendix really do some great moves consistently.