MLB and the Pirates have a bad business issue

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY SportsPicture this, you couldn’t agree to terms with your team to avoid your last year of arbitration before you hit free agency. Your case heads to arbitration, both sides present figures and arguments to a three-person panel of arbitrators who will then decide which figure you will be paid.

You aren’t a star, and you aren’t without your faults, but you’re for sure an MLB-level player, and over the course of your career, you’ve been a solid hitter. The team proposed a figure of $6.55 million and lost, so your salary for the upcoming season will be $6.9 million.

A month later, you’re placed on waivers, pass through unclaimed and get released. Oh, and thanks to a…