Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Collective Bargaining Agreement

CBA Notes: Season Length, Roster Size, Luxury Tax, Int’l Draft

By | at

Both Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred and players’ union executive director Tony Clark expressed optimism last month about reaching a new collective bargaining agreement prior to the Dec. 1 expiration of the current CBA. No deal between the league and the union has come since, but the industry isn’t worried about a shutdown, reports Tyler Kepner of the New York Times. The lack of concern is largely because the next CBA is unlikely to include radical departures from the current one. Instead, the expectation is that the two sides are mostly looking to tweak what’s already in place.

Here’s more from Kepner:

  • Shortening the regular season has garnered consideration during negotiations, but the schedule will remain at 162 games in the next agreement. In order to ease the players’ workload, the league and the union could agree to lengthen the season from 183 days to 187, per Kepner.
  • Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported earlier this month that expanding rosters from 25 to 26 players was a possibility, and that’s likely to come to fruition, according to Kepner. Moreover, 40-man rosters in September will unsurprisingly go by the wayside in favor of a 28- or 29-man limit.
  • The $189MM luxury-tax threshold is set to increase, though it’s unknown how much it’ll rise. That change will have a positive effect on big-spending teams that have been reluctant to exceed the $189MM figure. Bumping the number up from $189MM isn’t ideal for teams that have lesser budgets, of course, but Kepner argues that it’s not necessarily cause for despair. Since the current CBA took effect after the 2011 season, 21 of the majors’ 30 teams have made the playoffs, Kepner points out.
  • Owners continue pushing for the implementation of an international draft, but the MLBPA is “deeply skeptical,” Kepner writes. ESPN’s Buster Olney reported in October that a 10-round proposal was on the table for March 2018.

Latest On CBA Talks On Roster Size

By | at

One key element of the current collective bargaining talks is whether there will be any change to the number of players who can be carried on a roster. Negotiations are entering their final phases with the current agreement set to expire on the first of December.

There has reportedly already been consideration of going from 25 to 26 players on the active roster. (Here’s our story from two weeks back; the reporting came via Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.) And that concept is still under discussion even as the time nears for the league and the MLB player’s association to wrap up talks, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

There’s little question that the 26th man would be a boon to the player’s union, though MLBTR contributor Ryan Spilborghs has argued that it would be beneficial for teams as well. Balancing the cost of thirty new MLB salaries, sources tell Rosenthal, could come in part from new limitations on the size of the active roster in September.

Currently, of course, organizations can utilize anyone on their 40-man roster during the month of September, as Spilborghs also recently discussed. The new rule under consideration might limit clubs to 28 players for any given game during the final full month of the season, with additional provisions allowing that group to be modified — but not every single day.

It’s easy to see the merit in paring back the strange rule that significantly changes the game beginning on September 1. There likely wouldn’t be much of an impact on the transactional world, and it’s hard to imagine any fans taking issue. Adding a 26th man for the full season, though, might shake things up a bit. It would potentially reduce the exposure of players to serious injury, make it easier for clubs to employ specialized players at the major league level, and make the Rule 5 draft a more feasible means of snaring young talent.

Cafardo’s Latest: CBA, BoSox, Bautista, Votto, Tigers, Yanks, Hoyer

By | at

The absence of a new collective bargaining agreement has representatives for top free agents like Yoenis Cespedes and Edwin Encarnacion concerned, and could lead to delays in signing, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The current CBA, set to expire Dec. 1, includes a $189MM luxury tax threshold. Big-spending teams that are near the $189MM figure could hold off on adding high-end free agents (Cespedes and Encarnacion, to name a couple) until the CBA situation is resolved because they might face penalties under the next agreement if the luxury tax number doesn’t increase. One club it will affect is the Red Sox, according to Cafardo, who expects them to pursue Encarnacion if the threshold rises. Otherwise, they’re likely settle for a less expensive bat like Carlos Beltran.

More from Cafardo:

  • Free agent outfielder/designated hitter Jose Bautista “loves” both Boston and Fenway Park, making the Red Sox a potential fit for the longtime Blue Jay, per Cafardo. Further, Bautista has fans in Red Sox manager John Farrell and third base coach Brian Butterfield, both of whom were previously in Toronto. If the 36-year-old doesn’t end up rejoining them in Boston, the Rangers, Astros, Orioles, Cardinals, Giants and Braves are also possibilities (the DH-less National League doesn’t seem ideal, though). First things first, Bautista will have to reject Toronto’s qualifying offer by Monday – which seems like a formality.
  • Reds first baseman Joey Votto could waive his no-trade clause if his hometown team – the Blue Jays – attempts to acquire him, Cafardo suggests, but he adds that a deal is unlikely. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported earlier this week that the Reds have “no intention” of trading Votto, who is owed $179MM over the next seven seasons.“We’ve traded away a lot of players we’ve drafted and developed. He’s one of the few that remains,” said GM Dick Williams. “There’s a sentimental connection with fans no doubt. But it doesn’t have anything to do with attendance and draw. It’s about performance. He delivers.” The 33-year-old Votto did indeed deliver in 2016, slashing a remarkable .326/.434/.550 with 29 home runs in 677 plate appearances.
  • The Tigers’ plan to get younger and cut payroll is “probably going to be a three-year process,” general manager Al Avila told Cafardo. Avila revealed that he isn’t worried about the luxury tax, saying, “I don’t know what [the luxury tax threshold is] going to be. We’re going to make this change in our business philosophy. We were just trying to get younger and whatever that ends up being, it ends up being. The market will decide what will happen.” The Tigers are reportedly willing to discuss trades involving some of their biggest names, including first baseman Miguel Cabrera, ace Justin Verlander and second baseman Ian Kinsler, and Avila has made it clear that he’s “open-minded in listening.”
  • Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner is a good bet to draw trade interest, reports Cafardo. He’s coming off a 2.4-fWAR season, his fourth consecutive campaign with at least that total. Depending on what happens with his 2019 club option, the 33-year-old Gardner will collect either $25MM or $35.5MM over the next three seasons.
  • Having signed a five-year extension in September, Cubs GM Jed Hoyer is clearly content as a prominent member of the World Series champions’ front office. However, president Theo Epstein’s second-in-command would like autonomy over a baseball department someday. “At some point I would relish [being in charge] again. I aspire to that,” Hoyer said. “But I’m in no hurry. I’ve had opportunities to have that role and I turned them down to stay in Chicago.” Hoyer was previously with the Padres as their GM from 2009-11, but he left San Diego to reunite with Epstein, his former Boston colleague.

Latest On CBA Negotiations: Revenue Sharing, Schedule, Rosters

By | at

Word of various potential changes in the MLB-MLBPA collective bargaining agreement has been trickling out of late, and Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports on a series of new matters under consideration. In particular, she looks at discussions involving the cash flow to the Athletics.

Revenue sharing is the key topic of interest for Oakland, which has been allowed to participate in the system despite its large-market status because of its inability to find a new ballpark. The O.Co coliseum has allowed the team to continue receiving funds, which Slusser pegs at $34MM in 2016.

Some around the game — including rival teams and the union — believe that the A’s aren’t putting those funds to use as intended. Reduction or even elimination of Oakland’s participation has “definitely been a topic” of discussion, a union source tells Slusser.

The interplay with the longstanding stadium question is complicated, as the report details. There’s a concern in some quarters not only that the club isn’t funneling enough cash into player salaries, but also that the team has been slow to settle its ballpark situation. (Of course, there’s a counter-argument to be found as well.)

If the team ultimately has its revenue-sharing pipeline narrowed, with a resulting hit to profitability, sources tell Slusser that there could be ownership changes. That might involve a minority owner leaving or even a full-on sale of the organization, she suggests.

There are a variety of other possible changes being discussed that could have even wider-ranging impact, per the report. That includes the possibility of trimming the regular season down to 154 games and inserting more off-days.

Even more intriguingly, perhaps, there’s apparently at least some consideration being given to expanding rosters from 25 to 26 players. That would certainly reduce the need to utilize the 15-day DL, increase teams’ flexibility to carry more specialty players, and perhaps add to the frequency of reliever usage during the regular season. It would also seem likely to enhance the value of somewhat marginal roster pieces (lefty specialists, power bench bats, glove-first players) who might otherwise be without a spot, while perhaps increasing the viability of the Rule 5 draft and opening service-time opportunities for less-developed players who’d otherwise be left playing in the upper minors.

MLBTR contributor Ryan Spilborghs recently advocated for several such provisions, reasoning that both teams and players could benefit. The current grind is arguably too great, leading to injuries (and rushed returns) that can harm players’ earning capacities as well as the investments already made by organizations.

 

Current CBA Rules Could “Roll Over” Through Offseason

By | at

MLB’s collective bargaining agreement expires December 1, and both MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and MLBPA head Tony Clark have expressed optimism that two parties can avoid a work stoppage. While Manfred had previously said he hoped to have a new deal in place by the end of the postseason, though, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that he hears there is still work to be done, even on the day of what could be the clinching game of the World Series.

It is possible, Sherman writes, that rules from the previous CBA could be “rolled over for at least this offseason.” A rollover of the current rules could potentially keep this winter’s free agent market from stalling by allowing free agents to negotiate with teams without either party worrying about how a new agreement might affect them.

Sherman notes that the two sides have batted around a number of possible changes to the qualifying offer system. One possibility is that MLB could agree to stop taking draft picks from teams that sign free agents who have rejected qualifying offers. (As we’ve seen in the cases of Kyle Lohse, Stephen Drew, Ian Desmond and others in recent years, these draft pick losses reduce free agents’ value, which is why the MLBPA would want to change the current rules.)

Sherman writes that, under the changes being considered, teams losing good free agents would still receive compensation. It remains to be seen what form that compensation would take, although it’s worth noting that, under the previous system, a team that offered a Type B free agent arbitration before his departure received a draft pick, without the signing team having to give up anything. Perhaps MLB and the MLBPA will consider reinstituting a similar system for a certain class of free agents.

Heyman’s Latest: CBA, Orioles, Rangers, Jays, Rockies

By | at

Commissioner Rob Manfred expressed optimism about negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement earlier this month, and players’ association executive director Tony Clark did the same Saturday, according to FanRag’s Jon Heyman. “I’ve always been a glass half-full guy. We continue to work. We continue to go through the issues,” said Clark, who didn’t reveal if the draft-pick compensation attached to the qualifying offer will remain the same in the next CBA. In the current agreement that’s set to expire in December, a team receives a first-round pick if it issues a QO to an impending free agent and he then signs elsewhere.

More from Heyman:

  • The Orioles are still mulling whether to qualify catcher Matt Wieters, relays Heyman, who notes that the next CBA could affect their decision. Baltimore tendered a QO last year to Wieters, who accepted it and remained with the team on a $15.8MM salary. Wieters then had arguably the worst season of his career, hitting .243/.302/.409 in 464 plate appearances and grading poorly as a defender. In the event the Orioles qualify Wieters again and he accepts, he’ll be on their books for $17.2MM in 2017 – his age-31 season.
  • The Rangers are interested in re-signing outfielder Carlos Gomez, reports Heyman. It’s already known that team president and GM Jon Daniels is prioritizing center field, so bringing back Gomez wouldn’t be surprising. The Astros released Gomez in August after a dismal showing dating back to 2015, but he was resurgent down the stretch for a Rangers club that plucked him off the scrapheap. Serving as primarily a corner outfielder while Ian Desmond manned center, Gomez hit .284/.362/.543 with eight home runs in 130 PAs to rebuild some of his stock before free agency. Desmond is also slated to hit the open market, and Daniels observed that he and Gomez “have kind of a similar profile.”
  • Blue Jays outfielder Michael Saunders is another qualifying offer candidate, but it could be “tough” for the team to issue him one, Heyman opines. General manager Ross Atkins said earlier this week the Jays were “still working” on what to do with Saunders, whose 2016 was a tale of two halves. Saunders, 30 in November, slashed .298/.372/.551 in 305 PAs before the All-Star break and posted an ugly second-half line of .178/.282/.357 in 185 trips to the plate.
  • Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez and Indians first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. seem likely to interview for the Rockies’ managerial opening after the World Series, per Heyman, who also names a few previously reported candidates in Marlins bench coach Tim Wallach, former Padres manager Bud Black, ex-Astros skipper Brad Mills and Rockies Triple-A manager Glenallen Hill.

Rob Manfred On Schedule, Managers, MASN

By | at

David Lennon of Newsday reported in July that Major League Baseball and the players’ union were discussing shortening the regular season, perhaps from 162 games to 154. Those talks are ongoing, according to commissioner Rob Manfred, who told reporters Saturday that the league and the union are “in the midst of conversations” about the schedule. Manfred didn’t offer further details, saying that the topic “belongs at the collective bargaining table, which is where it is right now.” Manfred revealed last week that the two sides should reach a new collective bargaining agreement by the end of the postseason, so a resolution on the length of the season could come soon. The current CBA is set to expire in December.

More from the commissioner:

  • There are only three minority managers in baseball, but Manfred contends that its hiring process “is as strong as possible in terms of making sure that when we have field manager openings … diverse candidates have an opportunity to get those jobs.” Since the regular season ended, the White Sox have promoted former bench Rick Renteria, who’s of Latin American descent, while Ron Washington, an African American, is a finalist for the Braves’ job. Atlanta also interviewed three other minority candidates – Bo Porter, Eddie Perez and Terry Pendleton. Perez is now on the radar of the manager-less Rockies.
  • While Manfred expressed confidence in July that the league would ultimately decide the long-running dispute between the Nationals and Orioles centering on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, that’s no longer the case. “I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that that situation is going to play out in the courts, and there’s not a lot that I can do to move that process along,” said Manfred. The Orioles own 90 percent of MASN compared to the Nationals’ 10 percent, and the teams are fighting over how much in broadcast fees the Nats should receive.

Manfred On CBA, Red Sox-Padres Trade, Preller, Ortiz

By | at

Major League Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement is set to expire in December, but commissioner Rob Manfred said Sunday that he expects a new CBA in place by the end of the postseason, according to Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal (Twitter link). “Both parties still have significant issues on the table,” added Manfred, but he doesn’t believe those concerns are enough for either side to rip up the agreement and start negotiations from scratch (via Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith, on Twitter).

Manfred, who’s in Boston on Sunday for Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz’s final regular-season game, also addressed several other important topics:

  • After acquiring left-hander Drew Pomeranz from the Padres for top pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza in July, questions arose in August over whether San Diego was completely honest about Pomeranz’s medical information. It turned out the Padres didn’t reveal that Pomeranz was taking anti-inflammatory medication for his elbow at the time of the deal. Then, when MLB handed Padres general manager A.J. Preller a 30-day suspension in September, Red Sox chairman Tom Werner expressed displeasure with the commissioner’s office, saying, “We felt that some wrong was committed and that it’s important to have a level playing field. The Padres didn’t play on it.” Interestingly, the league gave the Red Sox the opportunity to undo the trade in early August, Manfred revealed, but the non-waiver deadline had already passed by then. Moreover, there was no way for the league to compensate the Red Sox, the commissioner stated. As a result, Boston turned down the offer and kept Pomeranz (Twitter links via MacPherson and Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe). The 27-year-old has scuffled since the trade and is currently dealing with left forearm soreness.
  • Whether the Padres fire Preller for his questionable practices is up to them, not the league, according to Manfred (via Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune). “I felt that that Mr. Preller behaved inappropriately in the situation. He behaved inappropriately to the detriment of two clubs,” said Manfred. “And I thought that a publicly announced suspension of 30 days, which is the longest suspension of a front-office person in 70 years, was a firm statement of our view on how he had behaved or, in this case, misbehaved.” As of Sept. 17, the Padres’ front office was reportedly split on Preller, who, in addition to crossing the Red Sox, didn’t disclose all available medical information in a July trade with the Marlins. As a result, the Preller-led Padres reversed part of what was a large transaction that centered on Andrew Cashner. Ultimately, the Padres re-acquired right-hander Colin Rea from Miami and sent pitching prospect Luis Castillo back to the Marlins. That came after Rea left his sole Marlins start with an elbow injury. Rea is now attempting to stave off Tommy John surgery.
  • Ortiz was among 104 major leaguers who tested positive for performance-enhancing substances in 2003, but Manfred downplayed that. The list didn’t distinguish therapeutic use exemptions from PEDs, per Manfred, who called it “unfair” and “wrong” that the positive test might negatively affect Ortiz’s legacy (Twitter links via MacPherson and Alex Speier of the Boston Globe).

Rosenthal On Astros, Rangers, Nova, CBA

By | at

Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal, via a video at FOX Sports.

  • Some members of the Astros are frustrated that the team didn’t deal for a top starter at the August 1 trade deadline, but GM Jeff Luhnow says the team ultimately didn’t make a big acquisition because teams were requesting big hauls in return, including players already contributing at the big-league level. Rosenthal notes that the Astros had previously had a surplus of starters, leading them to deal Dan Straily and then, months later, Scott Feldman for minimal returns (or perhaps seemingly minimal returns, since it’s way too early to get a clear read on Lupe Chavez, the very young pitcher the Astros got from the Blue Jays for Feldman). With Lance McCullers and Dallas Keuchel now hurt, though, the Astros might not have enough top starting pitching.
  • The Rangers attempted to acquire Ivan Nova from the Yankees last month, with the talks occurring very close to the deadline. The Yankees, of course, sent Nova to the Pirates, where he has had tremendous success in their rotation. Nova has posted a 2.53 ERA, 6.2 K/9 and a remarkable 0.4 BB/9 in 46 1/3 innings for Pittsburgh. It’s impossible to say, of course, whether Nova would have had similar success in Texas, which is a completely different context in which to pitch, perhaps especially for someone like Nova, who struggled with allowing home runs in New York. But he might well have been able to help a team that has seen A.J. Griffin and Lucas Harrell struggle at the back of its rotation over the past month.
  • MLB’s Collective Bargaining Agreement is due to expire at the beginning of December, but the two sides would prefer to have a new agreement in place by the beginning of November. The free agent market could unfold slowly without a new labor deal, with teams reluctant to commit to free agents without a clear idea of the rules going forward.

MLB Could Reduce Schedule Length

By | at

With the collective bargaining agreement set to expire in December and negotiations for a new CBA underway, officials from Major League Baseball and the players’ union are discussing the length of the regular-season schedule, reports David Lennon of Newsday. Specifically, the idea of streamlining from 162 to 154 games is picking up steam, per Lennon, as it would be less taxing on the players than the current format. The American League previously switched from a 154-game schedule to 162 in 1961, while the National League followed suit in 1962.

Today’s teams have just 21 days off during the 183-day regular season, which Lennon notes has led to complaints from the players because of the grueling travel schedules they face. One reason there are calls for a shorter schedule relate to the league’s stricter performance-enhancing drug testing, according to Lennon. PEDs are tempting to use in part because they help players get through a rigorous schedule, but with tests becoming harder to beat, drugs perhaps aren’t the enticing option they were in the past.

Regardless of the players’ issues with the current setup, cutting the schedule could be unrealistic because of the negative financial consequences likely to accompany it. Teams are unsurprisingly reluctant to sign off on losing revenue from attendance and television ratings. Players would also be in danger of making less money, too, as commissioner Rob Manfred laid out earlier this week.

“There are ways to produce more off days in the schedule. Some of those have very significant economic ramifications that — if in fact we’re going down those roads — those economic ramifications are going to have to be shared by all of the relevant parties,” said Manfred. “You want to work less, usually you get paid less. But we are prepared to discuss the schedule issues and make proposals that are responsive to the ones that we’ve received from the MLBPA.”

The players’ best chance to ensure a lighter schedule and continue to rake in the same salaries would be to convince the league that the quality of performance will rise if they garner more rest, writes Lennon. Indeed, that factors into MLBPA executive director Tony Clark’s argument.

“I don’t agree that there would need to be a discussion about a loss of salary or a rollback of salaries,” commented Clark. “Because if there is a lessening of the games . . . the value of every game goes up as well. I’m not talking about raising ticket prices. What I’m talking about is the idea that if I’m a fan coming to a ballpark, or I’m purchasing a season ticket, I know I’m going to see my guys as a result of x, y, z being done to make improvements to their overall health.”

If the league and the union are ultimately unable to agree to an eight-game reduction, Lennon offers the possibility of a two- or four-game compromise. With no CBA in place yet for next season, a resolution should come soon.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows FOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top