The Lockout and New CBA's Potential Impact on the Marlins

[fish16]

I'd be good with the automated strike zone now that the technology is there too. Agreed that that would eliminate some of the arguing.

I also agree with the comment on limiting the batting glove adjustment every pitch whether the guy swung or not.

the batting glove adjustment stuff and stepping out after every pitch needs to be tweaked too. They need to stay in the box throughout the AB. I think that will help.

My biggest hope for the new deal is the automated strike zone though. I have no idea how we still have middle aged men with guts having such a large and unnecessary impact on games at times. I don't think it's going to happen for some reason in this deal because they have bigger issues that will take priority, but its one of my biggest issues with the game today. And I think the unwillingness to embrace technology in the name of "tradition" is a huge reason why the sport has fallen behind basketball and football in terms of popularity.

[rmc523]

the batting glove adjustment stuff and stepping out after every pitch needs to be tweaked too. They need to stay in the box throughout the AB. I think that will help.

My biggest hope for the new deal is the automated strike zone though. I have no idea how we still have middle aged men with guts having such a large and unnecessary impact on games at times. I don't think it's going to happen for some reason in this deal because they have bigger issues that will take priority, but its one of my biggest issues with the game today. And I think the unwillingness to embrace technology in the name of "tradition" is a huge reason why the sport has fallen behind basketball and football in terms of popularity.

Agreed, but ultimately glove adjustment stuff will only shave a few minutes off at best, though I'm with you on making that change. It's one thing if you foul off pitches or something, but when you stood there and took a ball or strike looking, there's no need to redo your gloves.

I also think the other sports have done a better job marketing their players - don't even remember the last time I saw any sort of MLB player in an ad or something - meanwhile nearly every tv break, I see an Aaron Rogers State Farm ad or Gronk out there for something, etc. Granted it's football season now, but still.

[rmc523]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/...-thursday.html

Details of this afternoon’s meeting remain unclear, but both Passan and Nightengale (Twitter links) characterize the union’s response to the league’s proposal as unfavorable. It’s not yet known when the sides will meet again, which Passan suggests is dependent on how quickly the union makes a counterproposal. Passan ominously adds that an on-time start to Spring Training “is in peril.”

[gustavopim]

Barry Jackson

@flasportsbuzz
Longtime Marlins radio voice Dave Van Horne, the 2011 recipient of Ford Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame, tells me he's "effectively retiring." Van Horne, 82, won't return to Marlins & isn't pursuing work. He had a distinguished career; called more than 8000 games.

Best news of the year. Dave should've retired about 4-5 years ago. Last season was just awful trying to listen to it on the radio. He would get all names wrong, wouldn't be able to call any plays and have 0 emotions. Glenn is the best announcer we have out of everyone.

[Namaste]

DVH had an amazing run as a broadcaster. Obviously didn’t have “it” the last few years but had an iconic baseball radio announcer voice. His good years will be missed.

and I agree that Glenn is currently our best out of all of our announcers. It’s not even close, really.

[fish16]

Barry Jackson

@flasportsbuzz
Longtime Marlins radio voice Dave Van Horne, the 2011 recipient of Ford Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame, tells me he's "effectively retiring." Van Horne, 82, won't return to Marlins & isn't pursuing work. He had a distinguished career; called more than 8000 games.

Best news of the year. Dave should've retired about 4-5 years ago. Last season was just awful trying to listen to it on the radio. He would get all names wrong, wouldn't be able to call any plays and have 0 emotions. Glenn is the best announcer we have out of everyone.

You could say that Dave Van Horne is going up up and away from the broadcast booth. Geffner is better at this point so that's a welcome change. Rich Waltz is a free agent again, I hope one day they come to their senses and bring him back. Severino is a good national guy but as a local broadcaster it just doesn't work. It feels like every game is a national fox game.

[rmc523]

You could say that Dave Van Horne is going up up and away from the broadcast booth. Geffner is better at this point so that's a welcome change. Rich Waltz is a free agent again, I hope one day they come to their senses and bring him back. Severino is a good national guy but as a local broadcaster it just doesn't work. It feels like every game is a national fox game.

Interesting that they let Rich go after half a season.

How to we write the team about bringing him back?

I think Severino has gotten better as time has gone on, but it's still no Rich.

[rmc523]

More details on the negotiations the other day:

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/...otiations.html

Here are some of the leagues proposals:

• In regards to the top pick in the amateur draft, the teams with the three worst records would be involved in a lottery, with the winner receiving the first overall pick. This is similar to a previous league proposal, except this time, MLB added that a team wouldn’t be allowed to take part in the lottery for three consecutive seasons (to help address tanking). The MLBPA has also wanted a draft lottery, except a larger process involving the eight teams with the worst records.
• A draft for international players, as opposed to the current “July 2” international signing window and bonus pool system.
• The elimination of the “Super Two” arbitration system, as players who would count as Super Two-eligible in the future would have salaries determined by a formula. The league’s proposal offers some leeway, as players with even one day of MLB current service time would have the option of taking part in this new system or opting to remain in the old system. Regardless of this grandfather clause for current union members, the MLBPA isn’t keen on the idea of any statistical-based calculation tied to salary, such as the league’s prior proposal to entirely eliminate the salary arbitration process.
• If a team has a top 100-ranked prospect on its Opening Day roster, and that player finishes in the top five in voting for a major award (the MVP, Cy Young, or Rookie Of The Year) during one of his arbitration-eligible seasons, the team would receive a bonus draft pick. The idea is to provide a benefit for teams so they won’t hold back top prospects for service-time reasons, as extra playing time might help a player earn an award like the ROY as soon as possible. According to Passan/Rogers, players have some reservations about this idea, including concerns over how the list of “top prospects” eligible would be determined. (MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes is more bullish on the concept, as outlined in this Twitter thread.)
• An expanded playoff bracket, with 14 teams reaching the postseason. The players have expressed an openness for a 12-team postseason in the past, though as Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith notes, an expanded playoff is “arguably players’ biggest bargaining chip” given how much the league and the owners want that extra postseason TV revenue.
• The use of the DH in both the American and National Leagues. The universal DH has widely been expected to be part of this CBA, and Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle writes that the players union seems agreeable to the idea as long as the universal DH isn’t “tied to something else as a bargaining chip.”

[rmc523]

Latest on CBA talks:


https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/...e-sharing.html





8:24 pm: Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that MLB’s proposal would also include international signing bonus pool forfeitures for teams that exceed the CBT threshold. Interestingly, Slusser adds some details on the union’s CBT proposals as well. Under the MLBPA’s proposed framework, the CBT would escalate from the $245MM mark in 2022 to $273MM by 2026.

8:06 pm: Over the past two days, both the MLB Players Association and Major League Baseball have put forth proposals on some of the game’s core economic issues. While the sides have made a bit of movement towards a midpoint — the MLBPA agreed to drop its push for earlier free agency eligibility; MLB agreed to a union formulation for a bonus pool that’d award certain pre-arbitration players based upon their performance — there’s still plenty of work to be done.

Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet (Twitter links and thread) provides more details on MLB’s offer this afternoon. Notably, the league rejected the union’s recent push for a $30MM cut in revenue sharing, reiterating its desire to leave the process unchanged. (The MLBPA had initially been seeking a $100MM cut to revenue sharing but dropped the ask in yesterday’s offer). MLB also rejected a union push for players to accrue service time during postseason play.

Both Nicholson-Smith and Bob Nightengale of USA Today note that the league continues to push for more significant penalties for teams that exceed the luxury tax threshold. According to Nightengale, MLB’s most recent offer on the matter would’ve included a 50% tax on CBT overages and the forfeiture of a third-round draft pick for surpassing the threshold.

That’d mark a rather significant uptick over the penalties in the previous CBA, which contained no draft pick forfeiture and a 20% tax on overages for teams exceeding the base threshold for the first time. The sides are also divided on where such a threshold should be set. While the union has pushed for the CBT marker to jump from $210MM to $245MM next season, MLB has offered a far more modest increase to $214MM next year, maxing out at $220MM at the end of a five-year term.

With plenty of key economic issues still to be ironed out, Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers of ESPN write that the parties are planning to turn their attention to some ancillary subjects over the coming days before coming back to the issues of greater divide. Nicholson-Smith tweets that the joint drug agreement and grievance procedures are among the forthcoming topics of discussion.

[fish16]

jorge guzman signed a minor league deal with the giants. I didn't even realize he left the organization. I could see him getting a number of tries to figure out his control issues given how hard he throws.

[Namaste]

Fangraphs has us projected to win 80 games this year as
constructed

[fish16]

Fangraphs has us projected to win 80 games this year as
constructed

that seems about right for the current team. i could see that going up to like 85 games or so with a few good moves. That's counting on health though with the rotation.

[Nick]

Something has to be done about CF. If the plan is to put Garcia, or have Harrison or De la Cruz be the every day CF. That's not good enough.

I'd also like to see a legit closer. (Kenley) and a veteran 5th starter type to lighten the load on our young arms.

If these moves aren't made by Opening Day, I feel like the FO is not being serious about competing.

[fish16]

Im all in on Conforto as a FA signing. I think you can get him for a smaller multi year deal to rebuild some value and he offers a great ceiling in comparison to some of the other options.

2 of the years were his rookie year and the pandemic year but 5 out of 7 years he has had an OPS + of 122, with individual years of 130, 148 and 150. And he gets on base a lot which would be a good compliment to Jazz's low OBP and what will likely be a low OBP for Lewin in his first full year as well.

For 1-2 years at somewhere between 10-15 per year id be all over it and I think conforto would prefer a 1-2 year deal anyways after his down year last year. That makes the most sense to me if we arent going to trade a guy like Pablo for a top prospect. It's not special but with the DH coming back this year our lineup depth is pretty decent and at the very least doesn't have glaring holes.


Jazz
Sanchez
Conforto
Aguilar
Garcia
Lewin
Anderson
Stallings
Rojas

Lot of potential for down years or breakouts from young guys like Jesus, Jazz, and Lewin but conforto, aguilar (and cooper), and Garcia provide a fairly solid floor you can count on. All of a sudden if Conforto comes back to normal, jazz continues improving, and Jesus Sanchez picks up where he left off, you can see a potential scenario where we can be average to above average offensively to pair with elite starting pitching if we stay healthy.

I hope we grab Conforto and Jansen after the lockout ends and roll into 2022 with that and then wait to see if a guy like Bleday or Burdick takes a step this year to get on the cusp of being on the big league roster.

[fish16]

also cant remember where i saw it published but a poll of executives had the garcia deal as the worst deal given out thus far in the offseason. Can't disagree. I cannot for the life of me understand the years for him. that has albatross written all over it at some point, hopefully only the last year though. Just don't like the player at all, but hopefully he can prove me wrong like Aguilar did.