Part 5/7:
While several teams welcomed these inflated salaries, there was an underlying concern among low-revenue franchises. Teams like the Oakland A's, buckling under financial stress, were forced to make trades and acquisitions that stretched their budgets. Similarly, the perception grew that a core group of eight teams could dominate, creating a disparity that might lead to a Super League flavor in Major League Baseball—a situation that could alienate fans and create a lack of competitive integrity in the sport.