Baseball is Back! Here is what we know so far. The wait is finally over. We are getting America’s past time back and with a full season. The MLB Home Opener is scheduled for April 7, 2022
Now we await news on the start of Free Agency. Which no doubt will be fast and furious. Spring Training will then follow for how long we don’t know yet.
We will continue to update as more news rolls out.
Per Yahoo Sports:
• The minimum major-league salary will rise from $570,000 to $700,000, and escalate to $780,000 by the end of the deal.
• The competitive balance tax threshold for team payrolls will start at $230 million in 2022 and rise to $244 million over the deal.
• A $50,000 bonus pool will be distributed annually to the most productive players who haven’t reached arbitration.
• A draft lottery — a la the NBA, but with only six picks involved — will be instituted as part of an effort to discourage tanking.
• Teams will be eligible for draft pick incentives if they promote top prospects for opening day.
Per Jeff Passan for ESPN:
The basic agreement governs almost all aspects of the game, but baseball’s core economics were front and center in the labor talks. In addition to the CBT move, the minimum salary governing players with less than three years of major league service will jump from $570,500 to $700,000, growing to $780,000, and a bonus pool worth $50 million will be distributed among those younger players who have yet to reach salary arbitration.
MLB had pushed for expanding the postseason to 12 teams — a plan to which the MLBPA agreed. Additionally, player uniforms will feature advertising for the first time, with patches on jerseys and decals on batting helmets.
Other elements of the deal include:
• A 45-day window for MLB to implement rules changes — among them a pitch clock, ban on shifts, and larger bases in the 2023 season
• The National League adopting the designated hitter
• A draft lottery implemented with the intent of discouraging tanking
• Draft-pick inducements to discourage service-time manipulation
• Limiting the number of times a player can be optioned to the minor leagues in one season
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