New Mets reliever A.J. Minter talked about his offseason of change, mentioning that while Atlanta holds a close place in his heart, he is “here to beat them,” per Manny Gómez of NJ.com. A hectic offseason, which has included rehab from hip surgery, found himself landing in a rival town, moving from Atlanta to Queens. In the article, Minter also mentioned that he plans on throwing four more bullpens before he graduates to facing hitters. 

Mady Mertens-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

It will be Clay Holmes going against Ryan Gusto of the Houston Astros in the Mets’ Grapefruit League opener on Saturday. Click here for more on the pitching matchup.

Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic went into depth on how the Mets’ reinvigorated hitting lab could help spur development amongst all levels.

Frankie Montas told reporters that he’s “feeling pretty good” after getting a PRP shot yesterday, per SNY.

The Mets signed right-handed pitcher Connor Overton to a minor league deal, per Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online. Overton had a 4.85 ERA in 59 MLB innings from 2021-2023.

Matt Allan is healthy and expects to be pitching for a minor-league affiliate when camp breaks, per Will Sammon of The Athletic. This would be the first time Allan has appeared in a game since 2019.

Carlos Mendoza said that he’s currently leaning towards hitting Francisco Lindor leadoff and Juan Soto second in the lineup, per SNY. To learn more about the lineup decision, click here!

Over the course of the season, the Mets will hold 13 theme nights, they will also feature four games with additional specialty ticket package items via special event ticket purchase.

The Mets are showing interest in bringing back José Quintana, per Pat Ragazzo of Mets on SI. For more on the report, click here.

Latest MLB News

Outfielder Lawrence Butler and the A’s are in talks on a contract extension, per Evan Drellich of The Athletic. The former sixth-round pick posted a .262/.317/.490 slash line with 22 homers in 125 games last season. 

The ABS challenge system will be in use during spring training and Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com broke down how the system works.

The Colorado Rockies signed left-handed pitcher Scott Alexander to a one-year deal.

Dustin May revealed that his season ending emergency esophagus surgery was due to his tearing his esophagus while eating a salad, per Jack Harris of The LA Times.

Latest on MMO

It seems like Francisco Lindor will lead off for the Mets yet again in 2025.

The Mets are showing interest in bringing José Quintana back.

Met hitters are embracing the recent lab study.

On This Date in Mets History

2021: The Mets and Taijuan Walker agree to a two-year, $20 million deal. Walker would appear an All-Star game while posting a 3.98 ERA as a Met.

2003: The Mets sign Tony Clark to a minor league deal.

Born on This Date: Luis Severino (1994), Justin Verlander (1983), Liván Hernández (1975), Shane Spencer (1972), Phil Lombardi (1963).

The post Morning Briefing: A.J. Minter Here To Beat Old Team appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

While the Dodgers captured a 5-2 win over the Padres in Seoul on Wednesday, that was far from the biggest story in “The City of Angels.”

Bill Shaikin of the LA Times reported that Shohei Ohtani‘s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was accused of “engaging in a ‘massive theft’ of the ballplayer’s funds to place bets with an allegedly illegal bookmaker who is the target of a federal investigation.” The accusation comes from Ohtani’s representatives, who did so after finding out that Ohtani’s name came up in said investigation, reportedly involving millions of dollars.

According to Tisha Thompson of ESPN, Mizuhara asked Ohtani to pay off nearly $4.5 million in gambling debt, which he did and Mizuhara promised to never do again. After the news came out, Ohtani’s now-fired interpreter commented:

“I want everyone to know Shohei had zero involvement in betting. I want people to know I did not know this was illegal. I learned my lesson the hard way. I will never do sports betting ever again.”

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

Christian Scott had an impressive four-inning outing in the Mets’ 6-3 spring training win against the Miami Marlins. Click here for the game recap. 

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza announced that Tylor Megill will be in the starting rotation to begin the season. Click here for more information on the decision. 

Edwin Díaz said he will pitch back-to-back days (Wednesday and Thursday) in one of his biggest hurdles since his knee injury, per Andre Tredinnick of North Jersey.com. He threw 21 pitches while recording two outs on Wednesday. 

Latest MLB News

The Dodgers kicked off the MLB season with a 5-2 win over the San Diego Padres in the first of two games in the Seoul Series in South Korea.

The Texas Rangers and RHP Michael Lorenzen came to an agreement on a one-year,$4.5 million deal, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The deal includes $2.5 million in incentives and could max out at $7 million.

The New York Yankees and lefty free agent starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery are reportedly back in talks, per Jon Heyman of the NY Post. 

The Blue Jays traded infielder Santiago Espinal to the Cincinnati Reds and received RHP Chris McElvain in return, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network. 

Cincinnati Reds top prospect Edwin Arroyo is going to miss the 2024 season as he will be having surgery for his torn labrum, per Charlie Goldsmith of Enquirer. 

MLBPA’s power struggle will likely come down to a vote on MLBPA executive director Tony Clark, per Evan Drellich of The Athletic.

Latest on MMO

Francisco Álvarez continues to gun runners out in spring training. 

Brett Baty hitting his groove as spring training closes.

Tylor Megill earns final starting rotation spot. 

On This Date in Mets History

2013: David Wright is named as the fourth captain in New York Mets franchise history. He joined Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez, and John Franco as the only Mets to receive the honor.

Birthdays: Anthony Kay (29), Jimmy Yacabonis (32), Bobby Wahl (32), Carlos Carrasco (37), Shawon Dunston (61)

The post Morning Briefing: Shohei Ohtani’s Interpreter Fired, Accused of ‘Massive Theft’ appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Pitch Clock

In 2024, pitchers will have 18 rather than 20 seconds to begin their pitching motions when there are runners on base. The average time of games in 2023 was two hours and thirty-nine minutes, down 24 minutes from the 2022 season. However, game time increased by seven minutes in September versus April, and MLB became concerned that this could be a trend. This should not have a material impact because, according to CBSsports.com, on average, pitchers began their deliveries with 7.3 seconds remaining on the clock with runners on base in 2023. Clock violations with runners on base comprised only 14% of all violations last year, so this rule modification is a bit curious. However, we will see an 18-second clock when there is traffic on the bases next season.

Pitching Changes

This is a new one. In 2024, pitchers who warm up before the start of an inning will have to face at least one batter in the inning. According to the cited article, there were 24 instances last season where the pitcher who warmed up between innings was replaced before throwing a pitch (adding approximately three minutes of dead time per event). There were two such instances during the 2023 World Series. Once again, this does not seem like a great opportunity to shorten games, yet we will see this rule next season.

Time for Relievers

This rule change seems a little over-engineered. If a new pitcher steps onto the warning track with less than 2:00 remaining on the inning break clock, the clock will reset to 2:00 rather than 2:15, as was the case in 2023. Once again, it does not seem like this is a common occurrence, and therefore, this rule will probably not result in significant time savings.

Widening the Running Lane to First Base

The running lane to first base will be widened to include the distance from the foul line to the edge of the infield. This adds 18 to 24 inches of running space, reducing the likelihood of a call of runner’s interference. The variable distance is a function of synthetic and natural grass surfaces, which have different lengths from the foul line to the edge of the infield grass or turf. This seems like a good rule change, however, when at certain angles, infielders (especially catchers) will have to be extra careful before making a throw to allow themselves to be able to complete a putout at first base. We may see more throws hit runners but fewer interference calls. The net impact of this on the game is to be determined.

Mound Visits

It’s easy to forget that mound visits are still tracked. In 2024, four mound visits will be allowed rather than five. An extra visit will awarded after the eighth inning if the team has no more visits remaining. Clubs averaged only 2.3 mound visits per game in 2023. Last season, 98% of games would not have exceeded a limit of four mound visits. Once again, this is an area that does not seem to offer the potential for a noticeable impact on game length.

All told, we will see some differences in the 2024 season, most of which are intended to further quicken the pace of play. Individually, the rule changes may not amount to much. Perhaps collectively, the new rules may impact the average game time.

An important note is that these rule changes were voted on by MLB’s Competition Committee. That committee has six owners, four players, and an umpire. The players voted against all of the rule changes, The owners got their way, and the Major League Baseball Players’ Association is not happy. Here is the head of the MLBPA, Tony Clark, from the cited article:

“This afternoon, Player Representatives voted against the 2024 rule changes proposed by the Commissioner’s Office. As they made clear in the Competition Committee, Players strongly feel that, following last season’s profound changes to the fundamental rules of the game, immediate additional changes are unnecessary and offer no meaningful benefits to fans, Players, or the competition on the field. This season should be used to gather additional data and fully examine the health, safety, and injury impacts of the reduced recovery time; that is where the focus should be.” 

There are three more seasons to go under the current collective bargaining agreement. The players opposed most of last year’s rule changes, too. Owners are already hinting at their desire for a salary cap. It’s something to keep in mind.

The post A Closer Look at the 2024 Rule Changes appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Wednesday night, the lone game on the docket was the Houston Astros going into Arlington to take on the Texas Rangers in Game 3 of the ALCS. The major headline heading into the game was the return of former Met Max Scherzer, who would make his postseason debut as a Ranger. The last time he was on the mound in October, it did not go well, to say the least, Scherzer went 4 2/3 innings while getting smashed for seven runs on four home runs in game 1 of the Wild Card Round against the Padres. Unfortunately for Max, this time was not much better. 

After a clean first inning for Max, which included a strikeout of Michael Brantley, it was all downhill from there. The Astros poured on three runs in the second inning behind a wild pitch and a timely Martín Maldonado 2-run single. Jose Altuve would add on as he put a high fastball over the left field wall, followed by a Mauricio Dubón RBI single in the fourth inning to cap Scherzer’s night.

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Max finished the night with four innings pitched and five earned runs on five hits in his first outing in over a month. However, his Rangers are still up 2-1 in the series and are only two wins away from the team’s first World Series appearance in over a decade. 

Latest Mets News

Will Sammon of The Athletic gave an update to the Mets managerial search, as he reported that David Stearns and company would look outside of the organization to fill the role. This rules out names such as Carlos Beltrán and Eric Chavez while making the Craig Counsell rumors more credible. 

Francisco Alvarez has been nominated for the Luis Aparicio Award, per Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online. The award is given annually to honor the Venezuelan who was deemed to have the best individual performance in MLB that season. A total of 33 Venezuelans are up for the 2023 award, in which the winner will be announced on October 28 before Game 2 of the World Series. 

Rawlings announced the 2023 Gold Glove finalists on Wednesday afternoon, and Francisco Lindor is the Mets’ lone Gold Glove finalist. Lindor is up against Dansby Swanson of the Chicago Cubs and Ezequiel Tovar of the Colorado Rockies for the NL shortstop Gold Glove award. Francisco is going for his third Gold Glove award overall and his first one as a Met. The winners will be announced on November 5 on ESPN. 

MLB Pipeline released their All-Rookie teams for the 2023 season, and the Mets were well represented as both Kodai Senga and Francisco Álvarez made the cut. Kodai Senga was one of two starting pitchers to make the first team, and Francisco Álvarez made the second team, only being beat out by Yainer Diaz of the Astros for the first team’s catcher position. 

Latest MLB News

On Wednesday, there were major updates to the Boston Red Sox’s search for a general manager following their firing of Chaim Bloom. One of those updates came from Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, who reported that Boston talked to former Astros general manager James Click, but he has elected not to pursue the job due to family considerations. 

Patrick Mooney of The Athletic wrote an article detailing how Boston and Cubs executive Craig Breslow have been in advanced discussions on having him take over Boston’s highest job in baseball operations. 

The Major League Baseball Players Trust announced they are holding their second annual “Playmakers Classic” presented by Fanatics. The event supports the organization’s youth development, disaster relief, and other charitable initiatives and will be held in Las Vegas this year. Many current and former MLB players will be in attendance, including former Mets Tony Clark, Bobby Bonilla, Chris Capuano, Josh Thole, and others.

Latest on MMO

Christian De Block did a full breakdown of the full list of 2023 Gold Glove finalists.

The remembrance of the ’73 Mets continues as Brian Wright looks back at the one and only Rusty Staub. 

Jack Ramsey looked at some of the veteran pitching options for the Mets this upcoming offseason. 

On This Date in Mets History

1965: The Mets traded pitcher Tom Parsons to the Astros for catcher Jerry Grote. Grote was a two-time All-Star and part of the 1969 World Champion Mets.

2006: In the sixth inning of game 7 in the NLCS, Endy Chavez rises above the left field wall to rob Scott Rolen of a two-run home run and proceeds to double off Jim Edmonds at first base. Despite Chávez making one of the greatest grabs in MLB history, a Yadier Molina two-run shot in the top of the ninth put the Cardinals ahead, 3-1. Carlos Beltrán‘s knees would infamously buckle to an Adam Wainwright curveball with the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning, ending the Mets season. 

“He made the catch!”#OTD in #Mets history Endy Chavez made one of the most unforgettable plays in baseball history. pic.twitter.com/IHuY4RwcSQ

— New York Mets (@Mets) October 19, 2018

Birthdays: Rajai Davis (43), José Bautista (43), Joe McEwing (51), Sandy Alomar (80)

The post Morning Briefing: Astros Best Scherzer in Game 3 Win appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

It is important to note that prior to the 2022 season (before the new Collective Bargaining Agreement was signed), MLB formed a competition committee to oversee the on-field product. This committee was tasked with, among other things, making rule recommendations to MLB leadership, and discussing those recommendations with the MLB Players’ Association, though MLB  had the discretion to implement rule changes without union approval. The MLBPA was not in favor of the pitch clock and shift restrictions (they supported larger bases).

Now that more than half of a season is in the books, Manfred feels that the rule changes are going well. He is quoted in The Athletic as saying:

“(I have) been routinely stopped by fans talking about the rule changes in a very positive way.” He thanked players and umpires for their cooperation in implementing the new rules.

Greg Lovett-USA TODAY NETWORK

However, not unexpectedly, the pitch clock is a source of concern for the players, who are seeking modifications to the rule, or its elimination, for the postseason. Their rationale goes as follows, as stated by super agent Scott Boras (from the cited article):

“In the postseason, there clearly should be no pitch clock,” Boras said. “It’s the moment, the big moment. They need to reflect, they need more time, it’s a different scenario than the regular season, and we do not want their performances rushed.

“We understand why they would probably (use a clock) during the season, for the efficiency of the game and what they believe to be a fan-positive move for the shortening of games — understood. But in the postseason, we don’t want these men in a completely different emotional environment, where the settings mean so much more, where all their work and effort, all their goals are achieved.”

Manfred is open to the possibility of a change to the pitch clock rule, but does not seem to be all-in. From the article:

Manfred said he understands “it’s a possibility” the clock negatively impacts a postseason game, but added that “in general (he thinks) you ought to play the postseason the way you play the regular season.” He added the league is “comfortable with the way the clock and the violations … have been managed.

Reaction

MLB is in a tough spot with this one. On the one hand, it’s not common to change the rules of the game (in any sport) for the postseason, except in cases where ties are allowed during the regular season and have to be resolved in the playoffs. It would be odd to see the defensive and offensive holding rules changed for the NFL playoffs, or a different way for icing to be enforced during the NHL postseason. It makes some sense to use the same rules every time the game is being played.

On the other hand, fans pay to watch the players play. It would be a bad look for baseball to have batters called out on clock violations (or awarded first base on a pitcher’s violation with a three-ball count) in tense situations when one of the game’s best pitchers is facing a team’s best hitter.

Maybe the answer is somewhere in the middle of Boras’ claim that there should be no clock and Manfred’s comment about playing by the same rules all the time. Perhaps a clock can be used, with five seconds added to each scenario, so pitchers have 20 seconds when no runners are on base and 25 seconds with runners on base. Also, for the playoffs, MLB may consider allowing hitters two timeouts (of shorter duration) during an at-bat, so they can collect themselves and be ready for the moment.

Manfred is continuing to meet with players and will meet with union head, Tony Clark, about the pitch clock and its use in the postseason. Whatever they decide, let’s hope it’s done collaboratively rather than unilaterally, as one thing this game does not need more negative rhetoric, especially when it is enjoying a strong season at the turnstiles.

The post Rob Manfred Addresses Baseball’s Rule Changes appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning, Mets fans!

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that minor league players officially joined the MLB Players Association on Wednesday after Major League Baseball voluntarily recognized the union as the players’ bargaining representatives.

The MLBPA intends to form a separate bargaining unit for the minor leaguers, including its own dues, player representatives and executive board. Negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement are expected to take place this offseason.

The MLB previously had taken steps to improve the working conditions of minor league players. Last year, MLB raised the minimum salaries for Minor League players, while the league began requiring teams to provide housing for most minor leaguers in 2022.

The Mets lost their third game in a row to the Cubs Wednesday, as they couldn’t overcome a six-run first inning. The Braves lost as well, so the Mets’ division lead remains 0.5 games for now.

Now, it is time for the morning briefing.

Latest Mets News

Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated has video of Brett Baty fielding ground balls at Citi Field.

Here’s Mets 3B Brett Baty (thumb surgery) fielding grounders at Citi Field pic.twitter.com/QAbzGlRU5s

— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) September 14, 2022

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports that Drew Smith is scheduled to pitch back-to-back outings on Friday and Saturday, after which the Mets may consider activating him. Smith (strained right lat) has been on the IL for the last seven weeks.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com also reports that Max Scherzer (left oblique tightness) struck out seven batters and allowed one run over 3 2/3 innings for Syracuse Wednesday night. Following his rehab start, Max Scherzer told reporters in Syracuse that he felt “excellent.” And when asked if he’ll be activated when eligible Monday in Milwaukee, Scherzer replied: “Yeah, I’m ready.”

Jacob Resnick of MLB Pipeline reports that nine Mets prospects were selected in Wednesday’s Dominican Winter League rookie draft: William Lugo, Luis Moreno, and Jeffrey Colón to the Estrellas, Franklin Sánchez and Joel Díaz to the Toros Michel Otañez to Licey, Junior Tilien to the Águilas, Omar De Los Santos to the Leones, and José Mena to the Gigantes.

ESPN claims that the Mets are the only team in the divisional era to get swept at home while 35+ games over .500 against a team 20-plus games under .500. Last team to suffer such a sweep: Detroit Tigers in the final three games of the 1968 regular season.

Latest MLB News

Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright made history tonight by making their 325th start together and becoming the duo with the most starts as a battery in MLB history.

MLB.com reports that MLB Network will exclusively air the entire 2022 American League Division Series and American League Championship Series in Spanish-language this Postseason.

Latest on MMO

Dan Quiñones has a recap of Wednesday’s 6-3 loss against the Cubs.

Michael J. Famulari has an article about the case for Tomás Nido winning the gold glove award.

Chris Bello discusses DH struggles for the Mets.

Michael Mayer reports on Jeff McNeil‘s chase for the batting title.

On This Date in Mets History

1969: In a season filled with miracles, the contest they played on September 15, 1969 is unexplainable. Facing Steve Carlton of the Cardinals, the Mets struck out 19 times which was then the record for the most strikeouts in a nine inning game. Despite the high number of batters fanned, the team stuck Carlton with a 4-3 loss thanks to a pair of two-run homers from Ron Swoboda.

Birthdays: Jason Hardtke (51), Doug Simons (56), Satoru Komiyama (57), John Christensen (62), John Pacella (66), Charley Smith (would’ve been 85 today)

The post Morning Briefing: Minor League Players Now Represented By MLBPA appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning, Mets fans!

Joon Lee of ESPN reports that minor leaguers have been sent a card to vote on their union representation. If agreed upon, the MLBPA would be the minor league representative in collective bargaining negotiations.

Latest Mets News

The Mets’ offense was flat against Germán Marquez and could only muster three singles in a 1-0 loss in their series finale against the Rockies. Max Scherzer pitched brilliantly, allowing just four hits and one walk with 11 strikeouts, but he was saddled with the loss after allowing three hits and a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Scherzer lowers his season ERA to 2.27, but he still sits on 199 wins for his career. The Mets have a day off today before welcoming the Dodgers to town for three games.

Top prospect Francisco Álvarez may require surgery on his ankle, sources told Metsmerized’s own Michael Mayer. The 20-year-old phenom was dealing with soreness earlier in the week, which prompted him to be sent to New York for evaluation. Álvarez has played 32 games in Triple-A Syracuse, but this injury could shut down any chance he has at making the majors this year.

Latest MLB News

The Yankees have picked up former-Met southpaw Anthony Banda and added him to the active roster. Another former-Met lefty, Chasen Shreve, re-signed with the Yankees, while Aroldis Chapman went on the injured list.

Astros righty Justin Verlander left his start today after three innings due to right calf discomfort. The 39-year-old is seen as the favorite for the AL Cy Young currently, owning a 16-3 record with a 1.84 ERA.

The Diamondbacks are calling up outfield prospect Corbin Carroll to make his debut today. Carroll is ranked third in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list and has hit a blistering .307/.425/.611 with 24 homers, 22 doubles, eight triples, and 31 steals in the minors this year.

The Red Sox designated right-hander Hirokazu Sawamura for assignment. In 49 games this season, Sawamura has a 3.73 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP across 50 2/3 innings.

Latest on MMO

James Villani recaps the Mets’ loss in their series finale against the Rockies.

Andrew Steele-Davis praises Steve Cohen for putting together Old Timers’ Day.

On This Date in Mets History

1986: Bob Ojeda outduels Rick Honeycutt, tossing a complete game in a 2-1 victory over the Dodgers. Ojeda allows five hits, two walks, and one unearned run, striking out seven to earn his 15th victory of the season.

2006: Carlos Beltrán clocks his 39th homer of the year, and Jose Reyes adds a two-run homer off Byung-Hyun Kim in the Mets’ 10-5 win over the Rockies at Coors Field. Beltrán is now only two homers behind Todd Hundley for the most in a season in franchise history.

2011: The Mets’ pitching staff carves up the Marlins as they sweep a doubleheader from the Fish at Citi Field. R.A. Dickey tosses seven shutout innings in the first game, and Bobby Parnell hangs on to secure a 2-1 victory after allowing a homer to Gaby Sanchez. In the nightcap, Dillon Gee tosses six innings of one-run ball to earn his 11th win of the year in a 5-1 victory.

2016: In a game that is scoreless until the eighth inning, the Mets tie the game against the Marlins thanks to a wild pitch by AJ Ramos. In the bottom of the 10th, Yoenis Céspedes sends everyone home with a walk-off homer off Nick Wittgren to win 2-1.

Birthdays: Bill Latham (62), Rusty Tillman (62), Henry Blanco (51), Anthony Recker (39), Noah Syndergaard (30)

The post Morning Briefing: MLBPA Wants To Unionize Minor Leaguers appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

It is customary for the Major League Baseball Commissioner to give a state of the baseball union address during the all-star break. This year was no different, as Rob Manfred spoke to the press about several issues facing the game in Los Angeles before the mid-summer classic. He was joined by union lead (and former Met) Tony Clark. Here is a recap of their comments on a few of the topics they discussed.

Labor Relations

Manfred has pledged to try to create a better working relationship with the players, after the lockout that lasted for 99 days (the second longest work stoppage in MLB history). He has met with several players so far this season. Clark believes that these meetings are a step in the right direction, but the level of integrity with which MLB operates will dictate the nature of the union’s relationship with the league. In an article by Evan Drellich in The Athletic, Clark had the following to say:

“And that’s why at the end of the day, they were as unified and as solid a group as we’ve had in a long time when standing their ground for what it is they believe in. There are inherently going to be challenges in the relationship. That’s the history of management and union, management and employee. Open dialogue, candid dialogue and a high level of integrity to that dialogue has been and will continue to be beneficial. Players smell it when it’s not.”

During the lockout, both sides played the public relations game, trying to position the other side as inflexible or not wanting to strike a deal. The owners seemed content to let the lockout drag before engaging in negotiations, then during a critical point in late February, mischaracterized the bargaining sessions as positive in tone, setting the players up to take the fall when a deal was not met. The players talked a lot about competitive balance and dissuading teams from tanking, yet the settlement did not materially address this area. This calls into question if competition was ever really an important issue to the union, or if they they put that out for public consumption.

The two sides will need to align on a common vision going forward-the health of the game. If that is a shared “North Star”, integrity can more easily enter the negotiation process. If each side continues to pursue its individual objectives, often in a “win/lose” format, the owners and the union will continue to mistrust each other and future work stoppages will be hard to avoid.

Attendance

As written on MMO, MLB attendance is down 5% form the last comparator year, 2019. Manfred spins this as almost being back to pre-pandemic levels, which is fair. However, he also acknowledges that the game needs to exceed pre-pandemic attendance, and had this to say from the cited article:

“Our goal is to be higher than we were in 2019. And we need to work hard on things like pricing, promotion, to make sure that we get as many people as possible into the ballpark, always recognizing that we’re a family product.”

At least he spoke to pricing as a factor in declining attendance. He calls baseball a “family product”, but the reality is that many families cannot afford to go to multiple games per season, and some can’t afford to go to one. A family of four can realistically expect to spend about $250-$400 to go to a Mets game, when parking, gas, tolls, and concessions are factored in. Some teams have “Family Sundays” that offer reduced-price tickets and food for one cost. This type of creativity may be necessary to bring people to the ballpark, and build a new generation of fans.

Rule Changes 

We know what’s on tap for next season-larger bases, a pitch clock, and a restriction on shifts. Manfred is intent on bringing these changes to the game, and per the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, he and the owners can implement rule changes. The new CBA did create a competition committee, on which the players are represented. However, the owners make the final decision.

If you followed the CBA negotiations last winter, you may not be surprised that Clark and the players are not enamored of the rule-change process thus far. From the cited article:

“While players have offered their input on each of the issues, at least the initial proposals … haven’t reflected that input,” Clark said, adding it was an “ongoing conversation.”

Whether MLB is not considering the players’ position or this is a public spin by Clark, the statement above shows that relations between the two sides have not progressed since the lockout. The rule changes are one thing, the bigger picture is somehow getting these two sides to work together. It would seem that there is a long way to go on this one.

Streaming

We know that select games are now streaming exclusively on Apple TV+ and Peacock. The entire concept of having certain games available only on a paid service (which Peacock is and Apple TV+ is not at this point) seems to run counter to the idea of growing the game. Why make games less available to fans? In his discussion, Manfred provided his rationale.

The commissioner sees baseball as being in a “transition” period in terms of television broadcasts. More people are “cutting the cord”, and turning to streaming for television, rather than cable or satellite. It seems baseball is trying to figure out how to stream games seamlessly to prepare for a future world where more and more consumers will consume content online. From the article in The Athletic, Manfred had the following comments:

“I think the larger point is this: I’m not sure we would have done, or quite frankly, Apple or Peacock would have done the deal for the games that they have, were we not in a transitional period. And we do believe that environment’s going to change rapidly. And our goal there is to have as frictionless an experience for fans to view local games as possible.”

Essentially, Manfred wants to be able to appeal to both types of consumers in the near future-those who maintain satellite or cable packages and those who choose to stream. The key will be eliminating blackouts, which may be difficult, as Regional Sports Networks hold exclusivity contracts in their markets. Those contracts may have to expire and be re-negotiated. Manfred may be following a “short-term loss for long-term gain” strategy. It may work. Let’s hope it does, because streaming is not popular with most fans at this point.

At the mid-point of year one of the new CBA, it’s fair to say that baseball has work to do. The biggest issue is waning fan interest, and the need to reach out to the younger generation. Baseball has the oldest median fan age by far of the major sports.

Making the ballpark experience more available to families by offering reduced-price deals would be a big step in the right direction. Getting ahead of the emerging shift to online viewing may also be a winning strategy in the end. One thing is clear. The game cannot significantly go forward until the players and owners start to work together and toward a common goal.

The press meeting in Los Angeles appears to have been more candid than those in years past. That’s a good start. Actions speak louder than words, as we know. There is plenty of room for action in MLB now and in the years ahead.

The post Rob Manfred and Tony Clark Discuss State of the Game appeared first on Metsmerized Online.