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Rule changes, work stoppage, Offseason changes, Pitch Clock, New Uniforms

Major League Baseball's newest TV partner: Apple.
At the company's event today, it announced a deal with the league to carry a Friday Night Baseball doubleheader on Apple TV+ starting this season.
Games will be exclusively broadcast on the streaming service.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/03/mlb-apple-friday-night-baseball-streaming-deal.html
MLB, Apple Agree To Streaming Deal.
MLBTR

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/e...mlb-friday-night-baseball-package/9430002002/
Apple, MLB announce 'Friday Night Baseball' package.
Detnews

https://www.mlive.com/sports/2022/0...h-mlb-to-broadcast-friday-night-baseball.html
Apple lands first sports deal, partners with MLB to broadcast ?Friday Night Baseball?.
Mlive
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2022/03/08/watercooler-wednesday-28/
WATERCOOLER WEDNESDAY.
Totally Tigers

Today, another opportunity for readers to discuss the hottest topics in a forum where thoughtful dialog and a variety of opinions are welcomed.

Let?s create some running conversational threads. And for those of you still going into offices, here?s a question to take with you ? or use via Zoom calls ? as you talk to your co-workers.

Here is today?s hot topic.

It was revealed over the weekend that Chris Ilitch was 1 of 4 baseball owners who was against raising the Competitive Balance Tax (CBT, aka Luxury Tax) for the new CBA.

Stats show that while only 2 teams went over the $210 million payroll ceiling, there were at least 10 teams who either stopped just short of it or manipulated their payroll in order to fall under the $210 mill. Effectively, this is a soft cap on spending and at least one-third of MLB?s organizations are using it as such.

The CBT was created in order to prevent large-market teams and those with much larger budgets to buy their way into the playoffs. It was supposed to act as a restraint for wildly-spending organizations and to help level the playing field between large, medium and small market teams.

What is being argued today is that owners are using the CBT as part of their strategy to reduce payrolls. They are replacing the middle earners with a greater number of team-controlled players and occasionally supplementing with a higher tier free agent.

The MLBPA believes that if the CBT ceiling is raised, teams will spend more on their rosters, especially the experienced ?middle level? player tier who are no longer under team control and are finding themselves increasingly unemployed.

Under Mr. I, the Tigers went over the luxury tax limit multiple times, yet managed to get only 1 World Series game win out of 2 World Series appearances.

Their excessive payroll was considered to be the major factor in the need to tear down the roster. Star players were shed and the tanking process started in 2017 and lasted for 4 seasons.

Last year was the first in which Chris Ilitch has added to the payroll and the Tigers now sit at the average MLB payroll.

But does his refusal to raise the CBT mean that he won?t spend more when the time appears right? Has he learned a lesson from his dad?s failed spending habits?

Or does he believe that by keeping salaries at the previous level, it gives the Tigers an advantage, esp. over their AL Central counterparts?

Does he also believe that a new player development system will be the answer to creating a superior talent pipeline within the organization and thus no longer needing to overspend on free agents as his dad did?

Keep in mind that the overall voting by owners did not follow any predictable pattern. A large market team also voted in similar fashion to Ilitch. And all of the MLB?s teams with historically low payrolls, such as the Rays and A?s, voted to raise the CBT.
Do you agree with Chris Ilitch?s vote?

Do you agree with Chris Ilitch?s vote on the CBT?

1. Yes, it shouldn't be raised.

2. No, he should have voted to raise it.

3. Not sure.

VOTE
 
MLB?s proposal, sources tell me and Ken Rosenthal:

? Luxury tax thresholds: 230, 232, 236, 240, 242
? Prearb pool: 40m, flat over time
? Pool counts against CBT (1.33m per team)
?Minimum salary: 700, 715, 730, 750, 770

A big issue, sources tell me and Ken Rosenthal: MLB wants to add a new surchage level to the luxury tax.
Right now, there are three levels: base, first surcharge, and second surcharge. Now MLB wants to put in a third to deter owners who have a mind to spend well above the pack.

Another major part of MLB?s proposal: MLB is tying removal of the qualifying offer to instituting an international draft.

In MLB?s proposal, sources tell me and Ken Rosenthal, all rule changes MLB would want could be expedited, not just select ones like pitch clock, larger bases and shift. Can?t be expedited in season though ? only in offseason.

? Draft lottery at 6 picks. MLB was at 5 previously.

Some other details of MLB proposal:
? Players can be optioned max 5 times before being exposed to waivers.
? Small markets can pick in draft lottery for two straight years before sliding to 10th pick.
? Large markets can pick only one year in lottery before going to 10th.

On service time, with Ken Rosenthal:
? Top 2 Rookie of Year vote getters can get a full year of service.
? A team that brings up a player for Opening Day can net 3 draft picks over time, one pick per year, if that player does well in voting.

Evan Drellich
 
Teams now get $65 million a year from national tv deals. On top of that, they add national ad sponsor money, local sponsor money, local tv money (which averages around $50m a year). Before they sell a single seat. Not a bad deal.
EnoSarris
 
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/03/mlb-apple-friday-night-baseball-streaming-deal.html
Apple, NBC Agree To Streaming Deals With Major League Baseball.
MLBTR

It's a great time to sell live sports content to streamers. Apple (Friday doubleheader) and Peacock (Monday & Wednesday) will pay $115m for about 100 games per year of the deal.

Apple/MLB deal: $85 million annually over 7 years. Or total value of $595 million. The reported NBC deal not yet announced for Peacock would be $30 million annually.

Maury Brown
 
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Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have reached a tentative agreement on a new labor deal, sources tell ESPN. While it still needs to be ratified by both parties, that is expected to be a formality, and when it is.
 
Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have reached a tentative agreement on a new labor deal, sources tell ESPN. While it still needs to be ratified by both parties, that is expected to be a formality, and when it is.

just great news, happy to have the game back. I think the owners were terrible throughout this, the players just wanted salaries to go up in proportion to revenue. Since the last CBA, revenue went up 27% and salaries decreased, but I'm just happy to talk about baseball again.
 
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https://www.mlb.com/tigers/news/mlb-mlbpa-agree-to-cba
MLB and MLBPA agree to new CBA pending ratification.
MLB.com

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/03/mlb-mlbpa-reach-new-collective-bargaining-agreement.html
MLB, MLBPA Reach New Collective Bargaining Agreement.
MLBTR

https://www.blessyouboys.com/2022/3...reement-contracts-salaries-rules-negotiations
PLAY BALL! MLB owners and players reach agreement on a new CBA.
A full 162 game schedule will be played; here are the details.
Tiger Dog at BYBTB

Major League Baseball owners and players finally reached agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that will allow for a full 162 game season to be played in 2022.

The players? representatives went against the recommendation of their eight-man executive council who rejected the proposal and approved the new agreement by a 26-12 vote.

MLB owners threw in a couple of last minute demands for the players to drop their pending grievances against four teams for failure to spend revenue sharing dollars on improving their teams, and for failure to schedule as many games as possible in 2020. We?ll see how that played out as details emerge.

Reports are that the regular season will begin on April 7, with spring exhibition games starting on March 17 or 18. The transaction freeze will be lifted tonight.

Here are some of the details of the agreement:

Competitive Balance Tax

The collective bargaining tax thresholds, which have been the hardest part of negotiations in this round, will be set at $230 to $232 million, with three additional tiers at $20 million increments. ($230M, $250M, $270M and $290M in 2022) per the owners? last reported offer
The lowest threshold will be $230, 232, 236, 240, 242 million over the five years of the deal
Tax rates at the tiers will be the same as the previous CBA according to last reports, except for the new highest tier
No report on any additional penalties, which were the topic of discussions
Minimum Salary- pre Arbitration Bonus Pool

The minimum salary will increase from $570,500 to $700,000 in 2022, and will increase to $780,000 over the five year term of the agreement.
A new pre- arbitration bonus pool of $50 million will be drawn from the central revenue fund to pay the games top young players who are not yet eligible for arbitration. The amount will remain flat over five years.
The pool will count $1.66 million per club for CBT payroll purposes.
Expanded Playoffs, Universal DH

Playoffs will expand to 12 teams, starting in 2022.
The two division winning teams with the best records in each league will have a first round bye. The third division winner and the highest wild card team will host a first round three game series- all games at home. This will net about $85 million from ESPN plus MLB?s portion of gate receipts.
The designated hitter will be used universally in both leagues starting in 2022
Options, Draft Lottery

Players can be optioned to the minor leagues a maximum of five times during one season
The top six selections in the amateur draft will be chosen by a lottery among all non playoff teams
Small market teams who received a lottery pick in two straight years could select no higher than 10th in the next year
Large market teams who received a lottery pick could draft no higher than 10th in the second year
Service Time

The top two players in rookie of the year voting will receive a full year of service time extra
A team that has a rookie finish high in the voting can get up to three bonus draft picks if the player was on their opening day roster
Free agent compensation

Teams will not pay compensation for signing free agent players- formerly subject to a qualifying offer, conditional upon the parties agreeing to terms on an international draft by July 25, 2022.
Teams may receive a draft pick for losing a free agent player in some circumstances. Details on this point are scarce.
International Draft

A 20 round International draft explained here at MLB.com will be implemented if the parties agree to terms by July 25, 2022. MLB insisted on this in exchange for eliminating free agent compensation, and it was a contentious sticking point until the end. Only by making that its own separate negotiation was the deal finally moved along to completion.
Playing Rules

MLB may use a pitch clock starting in 2023
There will be larger bases and restrictions on defensive shifts, also in 2023
MLB may implement any rule changes without players? approval within 45 days of the end of each season, to apply in the next playing season.
Players will wear advertising patches on uniforms and helmets, estimated to bring in $6-8 million per year, per team
Grievances

MLB demanded in their last proposal that the union drop grievances related to four teams failing to spend revenue sharing dollars to improve their teams on the field and a $500 million grievance related to MLB?s failure to schedule as many games as possible in 2020
Ghostbusters


AD
It was reported that the players offered a 14 team playoff format, but only if it included a ?ghost win? for the higher seeded team in a five game series, and the owners rejected that idea, thankfully. But if one of the rules that Manfred seeks to bring back involves ghost runners in extra innings, all will be lost.

You do the math

The minimum salary increase represents a pay hike of 22.7 percent for pre arbitration players, who make up the great majority of the MLBPA membership, most of whom will never see arbitration, let alone free agency. The bonus pool gives the best young stars a performance based bonus before reaching arbitration. That whole package- minimum salary and pre arbitration bonus will cost teams an average of under $3 million each.

Scheduling issues

Details on how the 162 game schedule will be reworked have yet to be announced, but we can expect at least the first two series, which were previously canceled, will have to be rescheduled. ,

The Detroit Tigers may have to add a late season west coast swing to make up canceled games in April.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id...ive-agreement-new-cba-salvage-162-game-season
MLB, union reach tentative agreement on new CBA, salvage 162-game season.
espn
 
Baseball is really back. Nine inning doubleheaders and regular extra inning rules return. Man on 2nd is a thing of the past.
 
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