The old Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in MLB was set to expire on December 1st. Players and owners got the new one signed Tuesday. The deal is good through the 2016 season. We didn't miss any games and the old CBA didn't even expire. With the agreement MLB will become the first professional major league to start blood testing on human growth hormone which is a big jump. An initial positive test for HGH would result in a 50-game suspension. The other big change is the each league will have 5 teams make the playoffs. There will still be three division champions, but now there will be 2 wild cards. The two wild cards will play a 1 game playoff after the regular season to see who advances to the Divisional round and plays the team with the best record. Other changes include players will be required to play in the All-Star Game unless injured or excused. Some players recently have been skipped it to get extra rest. Instant replay will be expanded to include decisions on foul lines and traps. This is a really big step for the MLB because they are finally accepting instant replay. I wish they would also include plays at the bases, but I glad they are finally add more replays. This rule is subject to an agreement with umpires. Players, managers and coaches may not use smokeless tobacco products during televised interviews and may not carry them in their uniforms. Players arrested for DWI will be required to undergo mandatory evaluation. These rules will help keep MLB safer from troubles with these in the past. Players will start wearing improved batting helmets manufactured by Rawlings by 2013. Players safety is also very imporant to the game. One other big change is starting in 2013 the Houston Astros will in the AL West. In 2013, there will 15 teams in each league and inter league play everyday. Also teams will be allowed to have 26 active players for day-night doubleheader. On the economics, the threshold for the luxury tax on payrolls will be left at $178 million in each of the next two seasons, the threshold rises to $189 million for 2014-16. And there is a new market disqualification test as an incentive for clubs to increase revenue, preventing teams from large markets from receiving revenue-sharing proceeds. By the end of the labor deal in 2016, teams in the 15 largest markets will no longer be allowed to receive revenue-sharing funds, regardless of their TV contracts or attendance. According to the source, the 15 teams that will be ineligible for revenue sharing by 2016 are the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Angels, Cubs, White Sox, Phillies, Red Sox, Rangers, Braves, Nationals, Blue Jays, Astros, Giants and Athletics. The A's will be eligible for revenue sharing until their stadium situation is resolved. The minimum salary reaches the $500,000 mark in 2014. There also will be a new "competitive balance lottery" that gives small-market teams extra selections in the amateur draft, and those draft picks can be traded.
Major league free agent compensation will be completely revised in 2013, with a team having to offer its former players who became free agents the average of the top 125 contracts, currently about $12.4 million to receive draft-pick compensation if a player signs with a new team. It eliminates the statistical formula that had been in place since the 1981 strike settlement. In addition, the portion of players with 2-3 years of major league service who are eligible for salary arbitration will rise from 17 percent to 22 percent starting in 2013. The amateur draft range will be from $4.5 million to $11.5 million next year. For players taken in the 11th round and beyond, teams may give them signing bonuses up to $100,000 without it counting against the new threshold. For international amateur signings from nations such as the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, a luxury tax will begin with the July 2012-June 2013 signing season on amounts over $2.9 million. This deal ensures baseball will have 21 consecutive years of labor peace since the end of the 1994-95 strike. This all makes me really happy, that we don't have to worry about missing games.
No comments:
Post a Comment