Uncategorized

The independent league American Association has announced plans to launch a 2020 season. It’ll begin play on July 3rd and host contests in three cities.

While this plan won’t involve the kind of travel that Major League Baseball is contemplating, it’s notable that the indy ball outfit is preparing to tee up sixty contests per team. If local conditions allow, the league says it’ll expand to permit home games in all six of its usual home cities.

This is far from a typical American Association schedule. Beyond the obvious shortening and restrictions on travel, there won’t be as many participating clubs as usual. Last year a dozen organizations played in the league, twice as many as 2020. The players from teams sitting out will be made available to the other clubs through a draft process.

Most notable of all? There’ll be fans in attendance. As you might’ve guessed, television rights fees won’t support this particular ballplaying business — even in part. While you may have heard of the St. Paul Saints and even a few other American Association clubs, it’s the gate or nothing when it comes to staging a season.

Full details aren’t yet clear, but the league says it’ll employ measures to modify the in-game experience “to allow for safe social distancing while enjoying a live, professional baseball game.” The three hub cities — Fargo, North Dakota; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Sioux Falls, South Dakota — were selected in large part because live attendance was permissible under local regulations.

The word on the street is that we’ll likely see designated hitters in the National League in 2020. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported over the weekend that it’d be in the restart proposal from Major League Baseball. And now Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets that the players are expected to approve.

Whether the universal DH stays beyond an unusual 2020 season remains to be seen. There has been plenty of talk of attempting some temporary rule changes and then re-assessing them as potential permanent fixtures. The league and players would still need to agree to a post-2020 DH after the fact.

If indeed we see a sudden introduction of the DH, National League teams will have quite a lot to think about. After all, they didn’t compile their rosters with that in mind. We’ll be examining each team in detail over the coming days.

In the long run, if the change sticks, it won’t be hard for NL teams to adapt to the new rule. It isn’t as if American League outfits haven’t had decades to play with different approaches. With thirty DH slots around the game, along with a 26th active roster spot, it’d also be quite a lot easier for veteran slugger types to hang on a while longer at the tail end of their careers.

For now, purists can hope it’s only temporary. But if we’re being honest, it’s a bit difficult to imagine this change being pulled back once it goes into effect. Players have long sought the universal DH, believing it creates added earning opportunities for veterans, and there’s an argument that it’s a favorable development for the game overall since it eliminates pitcher plate appearances. (There are countervailing arguments, of course.) At minimum, teams will likely be focused primarily on other bargaining points when it comes to conceiving of the game in 2021 and beyond.

Dr. Christopher Ahmad, the Yankees team physician, warns in a Medium post that the resumption of baseball could bring a new wave of Tommy John procedures.

Essentially, the point is that many typical concerns during a pitching ramp-up will end up being amplified when the game re-starts. Ahmad writes that “the coronavirus pandemic may greatly compound and exaggerate the risk factors associated with the spring Tommy John surgery spike.”

The warning isn’t exclusively or even primarily aimed at MLB or high-end minor-league hurlers, whose training regimens remain closely monitored by teams. Amateur players and lesser-regarded pros are perhaps at greater risk of falling into the traps that Ahmad identifies.

But the potential concerns could ensnare any pitcher. And the broader TJS epidemic, as Ahmad labels it, is of concern to the game even when it involves lower-level players.

Ahmad, who is one of the top TJ specialists in the world, delivers three primary points in the post. Pitchers should build up conditioning now, rather than waiting for what might be a rushed resumption of play. Any injury or soreness in the body should be taken seriously, due to the potential for compensation to lead to strain on the elbow. And any pain or other issues in or around the elbow ought to be treated seriously, even if it means a disappointing halt to play just after it finally re-started.

The post is worth reading for anyone involved on the pitching side of the sport at any level. It’s also a good reminder of the sort of considerations MLB teams have surely been weighing as they guide and monitor their players and think about how to get them ready for an entirely unique 2020 season.

The NFL Draft is just hours away! Whether you’re a hardcore football fan or a casual Sunday watcher, you’re going to want to follow every draft pick, trade, and rumbling with Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors on Twitter).

So far, the Bengals have laughed off every trade offer for their No. 1 pick, but the Dolphins won’t take no for an answer. The ‘Fins are trying to trade for the Lions’ No. 3 pick, keep their own pick at No. 5, and ship both of ‘em Cincinnati for the top choice. The Bengals have been laser-focused on Joe Burrow for months, but the Dolphins believe they can change their minds with a ludicrous package.

Beyond that, practically every other pick is in play. The Dolphins, Falcons, and Tom Brady’s Buccaneers are all exploring aggressive leaps to move up the board. Meanwhile, the Lions, Panthers, and Jaguars are willing to part with their Top 10 picks, if the price is right. Oh, and tons of big-name veterans are on the block, too – Redskins left tackle Trent Williams, Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, and Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard, just to name a few.

For breaking NFL Draft news – without tipped picks, for your viewing pleasure – stay tuned to Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors on Twitter).

The NFL Draft kicks off tomorrow night. If you’re a football fan, it’s already appointment television. If you’re more of a casual NFL fan, you may want to tune in anyway. (Save the second watch of Tiger King for next week.)

To start your draft prep today and stay tuned for every pick, trade, and rumbling – visit ProFootballRumors.com and follow PFR on Twitter, @pfrumors.

Quarterback Joe Burrow – who threw for 60 touchdowns last year at LSU – is a mortal lock for the Bengals at No. 1. Beyond that, everything is up for grabs. The Redskins are reportedly listening to calls for the No. 2 pick, so they could conceivably be tempted enough to pass on a potential generational talent in Ohio State’s Chase Young. The Lions (No. 3) and Giants (No. 4) are also answering the phone, so this year’s top rookies could all be up for grabs.

Meanwhile, Rob Gronkowski is headed to Tampa Bay to rekindle his bromance with Tom Brady. Seven-time Redskins Pro Bowler Trent Williams could be the next superstar on the move.

That’s just a snapshot of what’s going on in the NFL right now. For the full scope of things, stay tuned to ProFootballRumors.com and follow PFR on Twitter, @pfrumors.

There’s no stopping the NFL offseason. Whether you’re a hardcore football fan or a casual Sunday watcher, you can follow every draft pick, trade, and rumbling with Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors on Twitter).

The “fully virtual” NFL Draft is just around the corner with several potential superstars on the board. At No. 1, the Bengals seem keyed in on quarterback Joe Burrow, who threw for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns (!), and just six interceptions in his final year at LSU. Then, at No. 2, the Redskins could snag Chase Young, an absolute sack machine who could be a generational talent in the making.

Beyond that, the draft is wide open: The Lions are listening to offers for the No. 3 pick and the Giants are “open for business” at No. 4. The Dolphins, at No. 5, are one of several teams that could be tempted to move up for their next QB, which could be Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa or Oregon’s Justin Herbert.

For the latest on the draft, free agency, and more from this wild NFL offseason, stay tuned to Pro Football Rumors and follow along on Twitter, @pfrumors.

If you’re pining for some actual competition among baseball players, Major League Baseball, the Players Association and Sony are doing their best to accommodate. The trio announced in conjunction today the first “MLB The Show Players League,” wherein 30 big leaguers — one from each team — will square off in a month-long, online league in MLB The Show on PS4. Each player will each other player once in a three-inning game, and the top eight records will advance to the postseason.

Games, which begin tonight, will be streamed on MLB’s social media accounts, MLB Network’s Twitch channel and MLB The Show’s social media accounts. MLB, the MLBPA and Sony are donating $5,000 to the Boys & Girls Club in all 30 markets, and the winner will receive an extra $25,000 for his community’s Boys & Girls Club. Your 30 players are:

AL East

Bo Bichette, Blake Snell, Eduardo Rodriguez, Tommy Kahnle, Dwight Smith Jr.

AL Central

Lucas Giolito, Trevor May, Carlos Santana, Niko Goodrum, Brett Phillips

AL West

Joey Gallo, Lance McCullers Jr., Jesus Luzardo, Ty Buttrey, Carl Edwards Jr.

NL East

Juan Soto, Jeff McNeil, Rhys Hoskins, Ryne Stanek, Luke Jackson

NL Central

Josh Hader, Matt Carpenter, Amir Garrett, Cole Tucker, Ian Happ

NL West

Hunter Pence, Gavin Lux, Fernando Tatis Jr., David Dahl, Jon Duplantier

Watching players compete in a video game version of the sport we’re all craving might not be everyone’s cup of tea — but it’ll provide fans with the opportunity to see some of their favorite players interact with each other and can serve as a welcome, baseball-themed distraction at a time when those are few and far between.

Will you watch any of tournament? (Link to poll for Trade Rumors mobile app users.)

The Klutch Sports agency announced today that it has acquired the Tidal Sports agency. That’ll bring agent Brodie Scofield and his stable of clients into the growing multi-sport outfit.

Klutch and top agent Rich Paul are already well known in hoops circles. They represent LeBron James and other NBA superstars. A recent investment from United Talent Agency brought the promise of expansion into other sports, which is obviously now underway.

This acquisition comes at a moment when all professional sports are on hold. While NBA players had already earned most of their salaries for the 2019-20 season, MLB earnings are on hold pending the resumption of play. Under the deal agreed to between the league and union, ballplayers would collectively earn just $170MM (less than one-twentieth the expected tally) in 2020.

Of course, MLB players do stand to continue accruing service time even if no baseball is played this year. That’s of particular importance for some of the new Klutch clients, who’ll continue to be represented by Scofield — now the agency’s lead baseball representative.

As MLBTR’s database reflects, the baseball unit now housed at Klutch Sports features some rather prominent players. Astros star Alex Bregman is certainly the top client; he’s entering the first year of the extension he inked in the spring of 2019. Another client, Brewers infielder Keston Hiura, seems a potential extension candidate. Mets starter Marcus Stroman is slated to reach free agency in advance of the 2021 campaign. Other big leaguers on the client list include Kevin Gausman, Sean Newcomb, and Blake Swihart. And the Klutch stable now also features one of the game’s top prospects in Jarred Kelenic of the Mariners.