Snyder's Soapbox: 'Can't beat 'em, join 'em' attitude is weak work for athletes

Welcome to Snyder's Soapbox! Here, I pontificate about matters related to Major League Baseball on a weekly basis. Some of the topics will be pressing matters, some might seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, and most will be somewhere in between. The good thing about this website is that it's free, and you are allowed to click away. If you stay, you'll get smarter, though. That's a money-back guarantee. Let's get to it.

In the aftermath of the unbelievable Game 7 win by the Dodgers over the Blue Jays to repeat as World Series champions, pitcher Tyler Glasnow, alongside teammate Blake Snell, celebrated in the clubhouse by offering the wisdom "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." 

Glasnow and Snell were on the 2020 Rays, who lost the World Series to the Dodgers. Glasnow was traded to the Dodgers before the 2024 season and signed an extension. Snell was on the 2022 Padres, who beat the Dodgers in the NLDS, before he signed with the Dodgers as a free agent last offseason. 

Let's be clear before moving forward: This is, overall, pretty harmless. They were giddy with excitement after winning the World Series and celebrating. Glasnow probably didn't even think his phrase through. It's not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. 

I'm still annoyed though. 

It makes me think about the NBA when superstar players join up together, such as LeBron James and Chris Bosh joining Dwyane Wade on the Heat. Or how about the true "can't beat 'em, join 'em" moment with Kevin Durant going to the Warriors? The sentiment of "oh well, we lost to that team so I'm just going to jump to the winners instead of trying to beat them" goes against everything that is -- or should be, in a perfect world -- the spirit of competitive sports. 

Shouldn't the biggest competitors want to topple the beast? 

Yes, comfort always plays into decisions when it comes to free agency, but there's something to be said for getting outside one's comfort zone. Sometimes that's when our best work in life is done. 

Of course, a player shouldn't be blamed for taking the highest offer, either. It always makes me laugh when people complain about players taking the most money in free agency, as if we wouldn't all do the same. 

All things being equal, however, I love to see players taking the path of a challenger rather than hoping to just join the champions. We've seen it before. Jon Lester signed with the Cubs off a 73-win season and won a World Series ring in his second season with them. He even reportedly took less money to do so. With the Yankees coming off their third straight title in 2001, Johnny Damon signed with...the division rival Red Sox. They of course won in 2004.

Surely it's pretty damn satisfying to win the World Series, no matter the circumstances. But isn't there a little extra feeling of pride when a player chooses to join a team that hasn't been to the World Series in a long time rather than picking the champs before winning a ring?

If you can't beat them, join them? 

Nah, that's a weak mentality. How about this: I haven't beaten them yet, but I'm going to bust my ass until I do beat them. 

That's better. Let's live there.