I think you are right that similar tier players impact each other’s contracts the most but I could see teams also scaling salaries for lower tier starters based on what the big boys receive. I could see teams seeing what Cole and Strasburg receive and thinking, hey, Ryu and Keuchel aren’t aces but after seeing the top dogs get $250 to $300 million, I’ll pay these two guys a bit more since we need a starter badly and don’t want to miss out on the next best options.
I now think Wheeler messed up by not waiting for both Strasburg and Cole to sign. I wouldn’t be surprised if he would’ve received $10 to $20 more million.