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Collective Bargaining Agreement

MLB, Union Progressing In CBA Talks

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MLB and the MLB Players’ Association are making “significant progress” toward a five-year extension of baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The sides aren’t likely to reach a deal before the weekend, but they could agree to terms before the World Series ends. 

MLBPA executive director Michael Weiner confirmed to Strauss that there is “no lack of urgency” when it comes to finalizing a deal. Weiner said no one issue represents an overwhelming obstacle in the negotiations, though many issues have yet to be fully resolved. Strauss heard from another source who says the sides are working out the “nuts and bolts” of a new deal.

Baseball’s current CBA expires on December 11th, but it appears to be in both sides’ best interests to complete a deal by the time free agency begins in early November. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported this week that players and owners remain far apart on the issue of hard slotting for draft bonuses. Rosenthal also said a deal could occur during the World Series.

Quick Hits: Red Sox, Wilson, Johnson, CBA

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Links for Wednesday night as the Rangers and Cardinals get the World Series started in St. Louis…

  • When Rangers GM Jon Daniels was trying to break into baseball, he applied for an internship with the Red Sox, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Ben Cherington, now Boston's GM-in-waiting, was in charge of hiring a new intern for the Red Sox and he chose Jed Hoyer, now the Padres' GM, over Daniels. “I remember [Daniels'] quick mind and intelligence and I thought he had a resilience about him,” Cherington told Speier.
  • The Blue Jays scouted at least eight of C.J. Wilson's starts this season, according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun (on Twitter). The Jays could use starting pitching, as I explained earlier in the week, but their scouting trips may simply have been due diligence.
  • Kelly Johnson of the Blue Jays chatted with FanGraphs'  David Laurila about the challenge of changing leagues and the way he uses stats and video to improve his game.
  • ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that MLB isn't close to adding a slotting system for draft bonuses in the ongoing collective bargaining negotiations. Executives doubt that Bud Selig would "dig in and fight" for slotting, since it could mean a prolonged dispute.

Rosenthal On CBA Talks

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has the latest on the talks between the players' union and owners as they aim to strike a new collective bargaining agreement…

  • It's a coin flip that an agreement will occur during the World Series, a source with knowledge of the discussions tells Rosenthal.  While that goal remains within reach, Rosenthal says the more important target date is the opening of free agency five days after the Series.  If no agreement is reached by then, it will create a new set of issues.  The World Series will end between October 23rd and 27th this year.
  • Rosenthal hears the players and owners remain far apart on the owners' request for hard slotting in the amateur draft, yet the gulf could narrow quickly.
  • The new deal is expected to include big changes for 2013: two 15-team leagues and a new one-game wild card round for the postseason.  The Astros' situation is fluid, hears Rosenthal.  They're the team most likely to move to the AL if new owner Jim Crane is approved.

Quick Hits: Red Sox, Pirates, CBA

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There's one day of regular season games remaining on the schedule and it's going to be a good one. The Rays and Red Sox are tied with 90-71 records and the Braves and Cardinals are tied with 89-72 records. Two of those clubs will make the playoffs as Wild Card teams and the others will be watching the postseason along with the rest of us. Here are today's links…

  • The Red Sox could still acquire a starting pitcher for a possible play-in game with the Rays (it would take place Thursday). But as Rob Bradford of WEEI.com explains, the Red Sox would have to complete a deal by tomorrow night for MLB to allow it.
  • Matt Kemp (NL MVP), Craig Kimbrel (NL Rookie of the Year), Jose Bautista (AL MVP), Justin Verlander (AL Cy Young) and Dustin Ackley (AL Rookie of the Year) would all win major awards this offseason if ESPN.com's Keith Law had the only vote for each honor.
  • Ronny Cedeno told MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch that he hopes the Pirates exercise his $3MM option instead of buying him out for $200K. The Pirates don't have an obvious internal candidate to replace Cedeno and his .251/.299/.339 batting line.
  • Tom Tango wonders if adding a salary cap would actually help small-market teams like the Pirates. If MLB implemented a salary cap, rich teams could spend more on player development and research.
  • The owners are concerned that realigning MLB into two 30-team leagues would limit their ability to market interleague play, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. No one is talking about expansion given the current issues troubling many teams, but at some point adding two clubs could be a way for owners to ensure that each league has an even number of teams.

Quick Hits: Marlins, Buehrle, Draft

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On this date in 1998, 39-year-old Rickey Henderson stole his 66th base of the season, Mark McGwire hit home runs #67 and 68 and Dennis Eckersley appeared in the final game of his career, breaking Hoyt Wilhelm's all-time appearances record by pitching in his 1071st game. Will today be as eventful? It's doubtful, but there are still 15 games on the schedule. Here are today's links…

  • MLBTR will be holding a free agent prediction contest shortly after the World Series ends.  If your company would like to contribute a cool prize or prizes for the contest, please email mlbtrsponsors@gmail.com. There will be one MLBTR post outlining the prizes, for which each bullet will be for a sponsor and will include one link to a website related to the product contributed. 
  • Bo Porter, the Nationals' third base coach, interviewed for the Marlins' managerial opening today, according to Ben Goessling of MASNsports.com (Twitter link). Porter, who interviewed for the opening last year, has another shot at the job, since Jack McKeon is set to retire.
  • Mark Buehrle told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune that the White Sox haven't discussed a new deal with his agent (Twitter links). The left-hander, who hits free agency after the season, confirmed that he's looking to play for a few more years.
  • Though it doesn't appear that commissioner Bud Selig will get draft slotting in the upcoming collective bargaining agreement, it does seem likely that the signing deadline (currently August 15th) will be moved up in 2012, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. Callis' sources say an earlier signing deadline is a "slam dunk."

MLB Likely To Add Wild Card Team, One-Game Playoff

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Negotiations between the players' union and the owners are moving at a fast pace according to Joel Sherman of The New York Post, and he reports that the two sides have all but agreed to add one wild card team per league. A one-game playoff would then determine which wild card team advances. The system could be installed as soon as next season, but no later than 2013.

One of Sherman's sources said it was a done deal, another said it was likely to play out that way. Nothing will become official until the next Collective Bargaining Agreement is signed, however. The current CBA expires in December, but the intensity of the talks gives both sides hope that a new deal will be announced during the World Series. The owners are interested in expanding the playoffs to increase the number of contenders, as well as add inventory to sell a TV network. The one-game playoff would create additional incentive to winning the division.

A major hurdle that remains in the CBA negotiations is the draft, particularly whether or not to include a slotting system. Sherman says there is also a lot of work to be done creating two 15-team leagues, which in part hinges on the sale of the Astros since they are the club most likely to move from the NL to the AL. Six five-team divisions would help create a more balanced schedule. 

Stark On CBA, Rays, Lidge, Rockies

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ESPN.com's Jayson Stark makes the case that Justin Verlander is the MVP of the American League before providing a new set of rumblings from around baseball. Here they are…

  • MLB and the players' association hope to announce the details of a new labor deal before the World Series ends, but they have some major issues to work out before then. Stark hears that the draft, including spending and compensation, could be an ongoing source of tension this month.
  • The sides have discussed a reverse luxury tax that would penalize teams that spend well under the average payroll.
  • MLB executives are impressed by the way the Rays have resisted rushing young pitchers to the Major Leagues to ensure they're prepared for a full season of work once they arrive. Tampa Bay executive Gerry Hunsicker says it's "not rocket science."
  • One rival executive thinks James Shields is staying put this winter. It won't be surprising if the Rays listen on Shields, since he would have through-the-roof value as a trade chip.
  • Brad Lidge, who has pitched well since returning from the disabled list, will listen to offers from teams that are interested in him as a setup man this offseason, according to agent Rex Gary. There's no indication that the Phillies have discussed a new deal with Lidge, though he is open to returning to Philadelphia (the team will decline its $12.5MM option for 2012). 
  • The Rockies will try to lower payroll by $4MM or so to the $83-84MM range this offseason and they may get partway there by dealing Chris Iannetta.
  • Stark heard from rival executives who expect Albert Pujols to stay in St. Louis, Prince Fielder to join the Nationals and Jose Reyes to sign in San Francisco.

Quick Hits: Pirates, Cubs, Werth, Byrdak

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The Cardinals won and the Braves lost, so only 2.5 games separate the two clubs in the National League Wild Card race. Here's the latest news from around MLB…

  • Pirates GM Neal Huntington didn't say whether he intends to offer arbitration to Ross Ohlendorf this offseason, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Ohlendorf would earn a raise from his current $2.025MM salary if the Pirates tender him a contract this winter.
  • The Cubs told scouting director Tim Wilken that he'll be back in 2012, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. There had been some rumblings that Wilken would receive a four-year extension like the one director of player personnel Oneri Fleita obtained, but Wilken will return on a one-year deal.
  • Giants officials acknowledged to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News that it will be hard to bring back both Jeremy Affeldt ($5MM option) and Javier Lopez (free agent) next year. The two left-handers could hit free agency this offseason.
  • Jayson Werth told Bill Ladson of MLB.com that he still believes that the Nationals are headed for success. The outfielder hasn't lived up to his $126MM contract so far, but he says he has found his swing and regained his composure.
  • Mike Mosa, the agent for Tim Byrdak, told MLBTR's Tim Dierkes that Byrdak's decision to sign an extension with the Mets had to do with the team's willingness to include an opt-out in his deal for 2011 (Twitter link).
  • Dave Cameron of FanGraphs explains that serious analysts don't believe "that awards voting should be done according to an ordinal ranking" of the wins above replacement statistic. WAR is a tool that guides baseball fans, not an absolute statement about value or ability.
  • In this week's edition of Ask BA, Jim Callis of Baseball America explains that he doubts we'll ever see an international draft because of all the logistics that would be involved. Commissioner Bud Selig has long supported a worldwide draft, which will come up during this round of collective bargaining.

Selig Talks Playoffs, Retirement

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Commissioner Bug Selig told Yahoo's Jeff Passan that he still hopes to have another playoff team in each league by next year. However, many details have yet to be worked out and there are related issues such as realignment to resolve, so the chances of expanded playoffs by next year are "iffy at best," Passan writes.

The possibility of realigning the divisions relates closely to playoff expansion, so the Astros' ownership change affects the discussions. Incoming owner Jim Crane has softened his stance on moving his team to the AL West, Passan reports. Three AL West teams are in the Pacific Time Zone, but that didn't stop the Rangers from obtaining a lucrative TV deal, so Crane is entertaining the idea moving his new club to the American League.

Selig maintains that the upcoming collective bargaining agreement will be his last. “Even though a lot of people don’t believe it, I’m done Dec. 31 of next year,” he told Passan.  

League Notes: Selig, Astros, HGH, Draft Slots

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With the owners meeting in Cooperstown, N.Y., this week, there's plenty of administrative items of note to pass along. Here's the latest:

  • One conversation that has come up frequently at the meetings is how long Bud Selig will remain MLB commissioner and who his successor will be, writes Ken Davidoff of Newsday. Davidoff speculates that the 77-year-old Selig, currently signed through 2012, will serve one more term before stepping down. Davidoff names following as potential successors: former MLB executive Bob DuPuy, Mets GM Sandy Alderson, D'Backs president Derrick Hall, former Braves and Nationals president Stan Kasten, Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, and current MLB executive Rob Manfred.
  • As expected, the potential sale of the Astros from Drayton McLane to Jim Crane wasn't even addressed during the meetings, the Associated Press reports. We learned last night that no one is questioning Crane's viability, but Selig has declined to comment on the exact cause of the holdup, so there is some kind of disconnect here. Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com examined the situation a couple days back.
  • In the wake of former Rockies minor leaguer Mike Jacobs' positive test and subsequent release, Selig said today he would like to see HGH testing in the Major Leagues, too, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). I wondered in that post whether HGH testing would come up during negotiations for the new CBA this offseason, but I think this pretty much answers that. Expect to hear more about it this winter.
  • Another issue that figures to come up during CBA negotiations is draft slotting. Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reported yesterday that Selig has promised to the owners the implimentation of a hard-slotting system for draft bonuses, whereby each pick would be signed for a predetermined sum. Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com, for one, thinks this is a bad idea, as it will scare away premium athletes like the Royals' Bubba Starling, who could choose to play in the NFL or NBA rather than MLB (Twitter links).
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