*** OFFICIAL MLB 2022 THREAD ****

[Sanlmar]

Apparently the cancellations aren't uniform regarding home/road either.

The Dodgers, for example, are losing 7 home games. The Giants still play all 81 home games.

Also, some teams are losing 5 games, some 6, some 7. So there will be an uneven number of games played.



This is going to be a mess, even if the bleeding stops here.

There’s a lot of detail here. Admittedly, not following closely.

I’m growing doubtful about a season. Given the changes I’m hearing (longest exhibition season in sport) the forced break will ease my exit from the game.

Every day I promise myself I will get up to speed in college.

[Sanlmar]

Let’s see if I can get your attention with this assertion

I believe that 14 team playoffs lessens the incentive to pursue the superstar and the accompanying huge long term deal.

Isn’t that even less fun during your meaningless season?

[Dan Druff]

Let’s see if I can get your attention with this assertion

I believe that 14 team playoffs lessens the incentive to pursue the superstar and the accompanying huge long term deal.

Isn’t that even less fun during your meaningless season?

Yes. This is being asserted by the players union, and it's probably correct.

This allows good/decent teams to spend relatively little, coast for the first 4 months, and then grab needed pieces before the July 31 trade deadline. Every team in the 2021 playoffs had 90+ wins, aside from the eventual champion, the Braves! But even they had 88.

Remember the exciting AL wildcard race of 2021, where the Mariners finished with 90 wins and the Jays finished with 91, both barely behind the Sawks and Yankees with 92? In a 14-playoff format, all four of these teams cruise in with no sweat. It would have been even worse in the NL, where the 83-win Reds and 82-win Phillies would have made it.

In other seasons, teams under .500 would have made it.



Bottom line: If baseball wants to cut half the season off and make it an 80-ish game season like the NBA, it makes more sense to expand the playoffs. If they want all the joyous revenue of a 162-game season, they need to stop fucking with the postseason. You can't have it both ways. Otherwise people are just going to tune out of the whole thing.

[David USF]

PLAY BALL!!!

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-mlbpa-agree-to-cba

MLB and MLBPA agree to new CBA pending ratification
42 minutes ago
Mark Feinsand
Mark Feinsand

@feinsand
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Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association reached an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement on Thursday, paving the way for the 2022 regular season to begin on April 7.

The CBA must still be ratified by the owners before it becomes official, with a vote scheduled for early Thursday evening. If it is ratified, both sides must then sign a memorandum of understanding, officially bringing the three-month lockout to a close.

The mandatory Spring Training report date for all clubs is Sunday. Exhibition games will begin on March 17 or 18.

The deal came to fruition a day after MLB postponed Opening Day until April 14 in the absence of a new agreement and announced that each team’s first four series were removed from the schedule. However, as part of this agreement, a full 162-game schedule will be played, and the four series that were previously removed from the calendar will be rescheduled.

The new five-year CBA includes increased minimum salaries, a new pre-arbitration bonus pool to reward the top young players in the game, a raise in competitive balance tax thresholds, the introduction of a universal designated hitter, the widest-ranging Draft lottery in pro sports, a system to prevent alleged service-time manipulation and limits on the number of times a player can be optioned in a season to address concerns regarding “roster churn.”

The deal also includes an expanded 12-team postseason format, bringing playoff baseball to two additional markets each year.

As part of the agreement, a Joint Competition Committee will be formed comprised of four active players, six members appointed by MLB and one umpire. Beginning in 2023, the committee will be tasked with adopting changes to playing rules such as a pitch clock, base size, defensive positioning and automatic ball/strike zone.

Under the previous agreement, MLB had the right to unilaterally implement rule changes with a one-year notice, but the new system will allow the game to improve in a more timely fashion thanks to the collaboration between the league and players.

Once the CBA is finalized, teams around the league will turn their attention to completing their offseason business, as more than 200 players remain on the free-agent market, including notable names such as Carlos Correa, Freddie Freeman, Kris Bryant and Trevor Story.

Here are some of the details of the agreement between MLB and the MLBPA:

Minimum salary

2022: $700,000
2023: $720,000
2024: $740,000
2025: $760,000
2026: $780,000

• The first-year increase is the largest single-year increase in history, nearly five times larger than the $27,500 increase in the first year of the prior CBA. It also represents a larger increase than the total from the past 10 years.

Competitive Balance Tax threshold

2022: $230 million
2023: $233 million
2024: $237 million
2025: $241 million
2026: $244 million

• The $20 million increase from 2021 to '22 is nearly twice as large as the biggest previous first-year increase.

• A fourth tax level has been added at $60 million above the base threshold to address runaway spending.

Pre-arbitration bonus pool

• $50 million (to be distributed to the top 100 players based on awards and statistical performance).

• MLB and the MLBPA will jointly develop a statistical method to allocate the funds.

• Under this system, NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes would have seen his salary jump from $608,000 to $4.2 million last season, while Rookie of the Year winners Randy Arozarena and Jonathan India would have seen their respective salaries more than triple in 2021.

Draft lottery

• Top 6 selections will be awarded via lottery.

• Odds would be based on the reverse order of winning percentage, with the bottom three clubs each at 16.5%.

• The 18 non-postseason clubs would be eligible, though revenue sharing payees would be ineligible to receive lottery selections in three consecutive years, while non-payees would be ineligible to receive lottery selections in consecutive years.

International Draft

• In exchange for agreeing to an International Draft by July 25, 2022, MLB will eliminate the qualifying offer system (direct Draft-pick compensation) for free agents.

• International Draft would be 20 rounds (600-plus selections), increasing the total compensation earned by amateurs by more than $20 million annually.

• Signing bonuses would be guaranteed for drafted players.

• Clubs who select players from growth countries (countries with less than 0.5% of signings in the previous three signing periods) will receive additional selections to incentivize scouting and signing in emerging markets.

Rules changes

Beginning in 2023, a committee comprised of four active players, six members appointed by MLB and one umpire, will be tasked with adopting changes to playing rules such as a pitch clock, base size, defensive positioning and automatic ball/strike zone.

Other details

• Contracts for arbitration-eligible players will be guaranteed.

• Top prospects who finish 1st or 2nd in the Rookie of the Year voting will receive a full year of service.

• Clubs promoting top prospects to Opening Day rosters will be eligible to receive Draft picks if the player finishes in the Top 3 in the Rookie of the Year voting or Top 5 in MVP/Cy Young voting.

• Expanded postseason: 12 teams, with the top two division winners receiving a bye.

• Universal designated hitter.

• Players may only be optioned five times per season.

[some user]

He got the action, he got the motion
Yeah, the boy can play
Dedication, devotion
Turning all the night time into the day

And after all the violence and double talk
There's just a song in all the trouble and the strife
You do the walk, yeah, you do the walk of life
Mmm, you do the walk of life

[Dan Druff]

This hasn't hit any mainstream sports media yet, but former MLB pitcher Odalis Perez, who mainly pitched for the Dodgers, died today at the age of 44.

The cause of death? He fell off a ladder at home, and hit his head. It's not clear if this occurred in the US or Dominican Republic.

Perez was one of those Dominican guys who had a lot of potential, but could never quite become a star, or even manage a long career.

After a few forgettable years with the Braves, he was shipped to the Dodgers, where he seemed to find footing. In 2002, which was still during the roid era with ERAs inflated, Perez had a 3.00 ERA and 0.990 WHIP, and earned a spot on the All Star team. The Dodgers didn't make the postseason that year.

However, he had a very mediocre 2003, but came back somewhat in 2004 with a better year, though somehow only had 13 decisions (7-6) in 31 starts. In 2005, he wasn't very good, and he was awful (ERA near 7) during the first half of the '06 season. Apparently there were also big time concerns about his work ethic and attitude, as well. Asshole cheapskate owner Frank McCourt despised Perez so much by that point that he ordered GM Ned Coletti to trade him "even if we have to eat his whole contract". Perez was then shipped to the Royals, and his career never got much better. He was mostly out of baseball by 2008, and completely out of MLB by the end of that season.

It's unclear what Perez has been doing for the past 13+ years.

There are two pitchers in MLB history who won a complete game 1-0 victory where they also hit the home run to win the game. Odaliz Perez (2002) was one. The other was Dodger Bob Welch, back in 1983.

What happened to Welch? He also died from a fall in his home.

Weird.

[Dan Druff]

Rumors are that the Dodgers just made a multiyear offer to Freddie Freeman.

And what of existing 1B Max Muncy? He's still recovering from last season's injury to his elbow, but might be ready by opening day. Muncy can play 2B and 3B, but since the DH is here in the NL (which I hate), Muncy could also play there -- or swap with Freeman between 1B/DH from game to game.

Sanlmar will be happy to know that Kershaw is BACK -- but possibly only for 2022. He signed a 1-year, $17m deal. He's just turning 34, but his body is starting to break down, so I don't see him as a guy who is going to pitch until 40. It's possible Kershaw will just shut it down after 2022 if he's hurting too much this season. That's also likely why he only signed a 1-year deal.

[Texter]

I hate the DH…no double switch, no pinch hitting….anyone can manage these teams.

When the pitcher gets a base hit, is the best.

[Sanlmar]

I hate the DH…no double switch, no pinch hitting….anyone can manage these teams.

When the pitcher gets a base hit, is the best.

I watch a lot of NL West. You really can’t be THE authority on the Dodgers without putting in the work. That said, i live in an AL town with its share of success but much preferred watching the NL. Guys like Greinke etc. so much fun.

I can’t stand any of these changes.

Let us make the bag bigger. Many a summer night I sat watching and wished for the same thing. Idiots

[Dan Druff]

Freddie Freeman is not staying with the Braves, who recently acquired Matt Olson.

Freddie Freeman is not going to sign with the Yankees, who just re-signed Anthony Rizzo. That is a rather curious move, as Rizzo had a .784 OPS last year, and a .756 OPS in the shortened 2020 season. He's 32 1/2, so that's kind of a red flag. Regardless, the Yankees kept him.

Where might else Freddie go, besides the Dodgers? Well, at least the Dodgers can take solace in the fact that they probably won't be facing him much (or at all) if they don't get him. Other possible landing spots are Tampa Bay, Boston, or Toronto.

All signs are that Freddie wants to be a Dodger, but is flirting with these other teams in order to push up his price tag. Freeman is NOT a youngster, however. He was born just a few weeks after the already-declining Rizzo, but he's been continuing to crush it year after year. Freeman actually had a mediocre (by his standards) first half of 2021, where there was criticism for him being selected to the All Star team, but then he mashed in the second half. He should be good for several years to come, but you do have to be a bit cautious when it comes to monster multiyear contracts for guys in their 30s.

By the way, guess who had the absolute worst case of COVID of all regular MLB players? That would be Mr. Freddie Freeman, who had it in 2020 at age 30, before the season started, and described how it just absolutely brutalized him. Did it affect his play? He had an OPS of 1.102 that year, and was the MVP. Maybe he needs to catch Omicron, as well.

[simpdog]

Freddie Freeman is not staying with the Braves, who recently acquired Matt Olson.

Freddie Freeman is not going to sign with the Yankees, who just re-signed Anthony Rizzo. That is a rather curious move, as Rizzo had a .784 OPS last year, and a .756 OPS in the shortened 2020 season. He's 32 1/2, so that's kind of a red flag. Regardless, the Yankees kept him.

Where might else Freddie go, besides the Dodgers? Well, at least the Dodgers can take solace in the fact that they probably won't be facing him much (or at all) if they don't get him. Other possible landing spots are Tampa Bay, Boston, or Toronto.

All signs are that Freddie wants to be a Dodger, but is flirting with these other teams in order to push up his price tag. Freeman is NOT a youngster, however. He was born just a few weeks after the already-declining Rizzo, but he's been continuing to crush it year after year. Freeman actually had a mediocre (by his standards) first half of 2021, where there was criticism for him being selected to the All Star team, but then he mashed in the second half. He should be good for several years to come, but you do have to be a bit cautious when it comes to monster multiyear contracts for guys in their 30s.

By the way, guess who had the absolute worst case of COVID of all regular MLB players? That would be Mr. Freddie Freeman, who had it in 2020 at age 30, before the season started, and described how it just absolutely brutalized him. Did it affect his play? He had an OPS of 1.102 that year, and was the MVP. Maybe he needs to catch Omicron, as well.

Jays signed Chapman to play 3rd base so I don't see them signing Freeman. Vladdy Jr could have played some back at third base now that he's in better shape, but not at this point.

I'm guessing Dodgers or Red Sox....someone will overpay for him and those two are good candidates.

[Dan Druff]

Zack Greinke, who has been pitching in MLB since 2004, is BACK to where he started from.

The Royals, his original team, signed him to a 1-year deal.

Greinke is 38 1/2. He quit the 2006 season due to "anxiety", and thought he may not ever be coming back to baseball. He ended up returning in '07, pitched decently enough, and has been around every year since.

He has logged over 3100 innings, and isn't often injured. I've always believed that Greinke has a combination of Aspergers and social anxiety disorder, especially having watched him closely as a Dodgers fan. However, I think that the aspie thing worked to his benefit, as it allowed him to have a cold, caclulated approach to pitching, and he wouldn't get rattled when an outing would start out badly. He was pretty much the opposite of Kershaw, who is highly emotional and a perfectionist, and gets badly affected by things not going well.

In his prime, I almost never saw Greinke get bombed. He was the equivalent of the poker player who never tilted.

At this point in his career, however, I don't expect much from him. KC probably just needs someone to eat innings, and that he can still do.

[gut]

LMAO, Kris Bryant signs his pension deal. Time to go pad the stats at altitude while winning 70 games a year.

He has a ring so whatever, get that money. But again, if anyone has any idea wtf the Rockies are doing, you would be the first.

[Dan Druff]

LMAO, Kris Bryant signs his pension deal. Time to go pad the stats at altitude while winning 70 games a year.

He has a ring so whatever, get that money. But again, if anyone has any idea wtf the Rockies are doing, you would be the first.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I attended a Rockies game in July. Benjamin accompanied me. We stayed downtown and walked to/from the stadium.

Facility was pretty nice, though the food situation was a clusterfuck. I thought Dodger Stadium was a mess regarding that, but Coors was worse.

The shocking thing was that there were more Dodgers fans there than Rockies fans. This was in mid-July. I'm not talking September when the Rockies were long clinched out of it. If you closed your eyes, you'd have thought you were at a Dodgers game. It's possible this was an outlier, because I saw a TON of Dodgers jersey-wearers downtown in the 24 hours prior to the game, meaning that there might have been a lot of people who did exactly what I did -- built a summer Colorado road trip around the Dodgers being in Denver. Still, I was pretty shocked. I expect a huge Dodger contingent in San Diego and Anaheim (close), as well as Phoenix (many ex-LA people, plus D-backs didn't exist until late 1990s). However, the Colorado thing was a pretty big shock.

I have been long skeptical that this team can ever be successful long term. I think the constant switching between low and high altitudes fucks with both pitcher's and hitter's heads, and they will never be able to perform well on the road. The 2021 Rockies were 48-33 at home -- 5.5 games BETTER than the World Series champion Braves, and better than every NL team except the super-tough Dodgers and Giants. On the road, they were 26-54.

[gut]

LMAO, Kris Bryant signs his pension deal. Time to go pad the stats at altitude while winning 70 games a year.

He has a ring so whatever, get that money. But again, if anyone has any idea wtf the Rockies are doing, you would be the first.

.
As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I attended a Rockies game in July. Benjamin accompanied me. We stayed downtown and walked to/from the stadium.

Facility was pretty nice, though the food situation was a clusterfuck. I thought Dodger Stadium was a mess regarding that, but Coors was worse.

The shocking thing was that there were more Dodgers fans there than Rockies fans. This was in mid-July. I'm not talking September when the Rockies were long clinched out of it. If you closed your eyes, you'd have thought you were at a Dodgers game. It's possible this was an outlier, because I saw a TON of Dodgers jersey-wearers downtown in the 24 hours prior to the game, meaning that there might have been a lot of people who did exactly what I did -- built a summer Colorado road trip around the Dodgers being in Denver. Still, I was pretty shocked. I expect a huge Dodger contingent in San Diego and Anaheim (close), as well as Phoenix (many ex-LA people, plus D-backs didn't exist until late 1990s). However, the Colorado thing was a pretty big shock.

I have been long skeptical that this team can ever be successful long term. I think the constant switching between low and high altitudes fucks with both pitcher's and hitter's heads, and they will never be able to perform well on the road. The 2021 Rockies were 48-33 at home -- 5.5 games BETTER than the World Series champion Braves, and better than every NL team except the super-tough Dodgers and Giants. On the road, they were 26-54.

The fan support is not surprising. When I lived there 15-20 years ago, Colorado was very clear in its sports preferences: 1. Broncos. 2. Avs. 3. Nuggets. 4. Skiing/snowboarding/anything else. 5. Rockies


That owner Monfort tho is something else. He legit thinks he is trying to win, but makes horrible decision after horrible decision. The fact he was lead negotiator for the owners during the lockout, while his own front office is a dumpster fire, says a lot.

[Dan Druff]

As I'm sure everyone has seen by now, Freeman is a Dodger.

This lineup is now otherworldly.

C Will Smith
1B Freddie Freeman
2B Chris Taylor
SS Trea Turner
3B Justin Turner
OF Cody Bellinger
OF Mookie Betts
OF AJ Pollock
DH Max Muncy

They also have Gavin Lux to fill in any blanks, either to give guys rest or if someone gets hurt.

Imagine if Bellinger returns to old form, or even some degree of it. Wow.

The starting pitching might be a bit of a question mark, especially with Bauer probably not returning:

P Walker Buehler
P Julio Urias
P Clayton Kershaw
P Tony Gonsolin
P Andrew Heaney

Dustin May isn't due back until near the end of the season.

As it stands, the entire SP staff was originally drafted by the Dodgers, and all but Heaney have only played for them.

Of the starting lineup, only Betts, Pollock, and Freeman were FA signings. Betts and Trea Turner were traded for legit prospects, Smith/Bellinger were homegrown, and Justin Turner/Muncy/Taylor were scrap heap acquisitions from years ago.

You can't even say that this team was mostly bought. It was mostly built, and a little bit bought.

They probably need to trade for another SP before the season is over. I also have my doubts that Kershaw and Gonsolin will stay healthy, especially Kershaw, and there is very little starting pitching depth at the moment. Hopefully that won't be an issue.

On the plus side, it's unlikely the Giants will be as good this year, and the rest of the NL West will probably be fail, especially with Tatis missing 3+ months.

[gut]

CORREA!!

[Dan Druff]

CORREA!!

I love how contracts have gotten so large that he actually was given an opt-out in year 3 of a 3-year, $103.5m contract.

[The Boz]

Phillies are going to score some runs but may have the worst D in history.

[Dan Druff]

The Dodgers have decided they're done letting scalpers (and individuals) buy up Opening Day tickets and mark them up on Stubhub.

How are they accomplishing this?

They're marking up the tickets themselves!

I got invited to the "Mastercard Presale" on Tuesday. I was going to buy some tickets and then resell on Stubhub. Opening Day never excited me too much, especially when it's already a week into the season, as it is this year for the Dodgers.

Here's a selection of prices:

Upper LF, among the worst seats in the park: $106
LF and RF pavillion (where the HR go): $193-$203
Loge (second level) behind 3B, 8 rows back: $305
Reserve blue level (fourth level, fairly high up), between home and 1st, 17 rows back: $187

For many years, Opening Day was sold by the Dodgers are the same price as any other game. In recent years they've wised up and raised base prices on tickets to high profile regular season games, but this is ridiculous.

Keep in mind that I can get these seats for cheaper than the above in both the NLDS and NLCS by buying at the right time on Stubhub.

Sad!