It’s not easy being a baseball fan. The commitment is intense: 162 games from the thaw of early April through the sweat of summer to the cool evenings of October — and that doesn’t include spring training or the never-ending offseason.

The sport has a payroll structure that even its defenders would agree isn’t exactly equitable across all 30 teams. The New York Mets, case in point, will pay Juan Soto nearly $122 million in 2025 — a $75 million signing bonus plus a $46.875 million salary. That outlay will top the 2024 Opening Day payrolls of 13 teams.

As free agent signings and trades continue to roll in — with many top free agents still unsigned — it all leads to the annual winter ri...