On the past week not much has happened on the lockout front, other than what we already know that the owners are not in too much of a hurry to get the baseball season started on time.
The MLBPA has made two counter offers to the owners, and the owners then requested a federal mediator be brought in to help with negotiations. The Players Association denied this request, and the stalemate continues. Commissioner Rob Manfred does have a press conference scheduled for Thursday morning; whether we find out any new information remains to be seen. It seems however that it will be a definite that Spring Training and the season will not start on time.
In non-lockout news, Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts is very optimistic that he and the team will reach an extension agreement. Andy McCullough had an article in The Athletic Tuesday in which he discussed Roberts’ tenure with the Dodgers and an extension.
“It’ll get done,” Roberts said. “It’ll get done.”
President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman seems to agree, telling The Athletic last week, “Doc has been a big part of our past success and I look forward to him being a big part of future success as well”.
Roberts has the best winning percentage during the regular season of any coach all time, at .622. He is fourth all time in playoff wins behind Joe Torre, Tony La Russa and Bobby Cox.
The article also states that Roberts had been on the phone with a certain free agent prior to the lockout, although he declined to say just who.
“I might have been on the phone with a potential free agent to let him know how much we want to have him,” Roberts said. “I’ll leave it at that.”
We will have to wait until after the lockout is over to find out if that player may have been Clayton Kershaw, Freddie Freeman, or another sought after free agent.
For his part, Kershaw was on The Dan Patrick Show on Wednesday where he talked a bit about the lockout and his friend Matthew Stafford, who is going for a Super Bowl win this weekend in Los Angeles.
“At this point, it’s February 9. There’s no way we’re going to be in Spring Training in a week, but I hope we’re in Spring Training soon so we can get the season started on time, because ultimately that’s the goal,” Kershaw said about the state of MLB. “I’ve kind of passed the baton (to Walker Buehler as player rep) so now I’m pretty removed from the situation. I get updates but as far as the day-to-day, I am not involved this time at all.”
Kershaw and Stafford played football together in middle school before baseball took over Kershaw’s sporting career. “I played quarterback like fourth, fifth grade, and that was about as far as I went. Then as I started getting a little chunkier, and the line started to be a little more my calling.”
Kershaw will be in attendance at the Super Bowl presumably cheering for his former teammate, in the seats and not in a suite. “I actually went through the Rams and bought some tickets. I’m excited.”
Justin Turner held his annual Justin Turner Foundation Golf Tournament on Monday. Current and former teammates were in attendance to help the Turners raise money for their foundation which helps veterans and sick children and more in the Los Angeles area.
Trevor Bauer had his criminal case against him dismissed. MLB will still be doing their own investigation and will decide if he will receive further discipline from the league. Bauer has been on administrative leave since early July due to sexual assault allegations.
Think Blue Planning Committee 
Finally! The DA has completed their “process”. No charges which is not a surprise and now the MLB can have its investigators interview, Bauer, to decide if the MLB will levy a suspension. Every MLB commentator, pundit, and blog including the Athletic suggests Bauer will be suspended for 2022 and the Dodgers on the hook for the lesser 3rd year. As Manfred has shown a remarkable lack of conviction and spine I would not wager on the outcome. I agree with Rich Hill’s recent comments on Manfred’s accomplishments for the MLB which total up to a minus.
I continue to believe that at minimum a quarter of the season will be lost as when there is a crisis Leadership must step up and I cannot see any leaders.
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Announced tonight that the two sides have scheduled a meeting for Saturday. MLB is expected to present another proposal on core economic issues. Where there is talk, there is hope.
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Pretty sure Manfred is also going to announce tomorrow that spring training is indefinitely postponed
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They are submitting a counter proposal to the MLBPA on Saturday. Announcing that would be premature
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I am curious. The readers here are highly invested in baseball and the Dodgers. What are your estimates on how long the “Lock Out” will last? I have guessed we will lose a quarter of the season and hope I am wrong. I do not see how the two parties are going to come to an agreement on the key issues.
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OK, as long as we’re all throwing predictions out, I’ll say the season starts about 2 weeks late, around mid April.
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I’m not quite as optimistic, beginning to middle of May
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If my math is correct, that would be about 40 games lost, so you’re basically agreeing with Tmax, about 1/4 of the season.
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I think 1/4 is best case scenario. Everything I have read says the Players are determined get back to parity in their eyes as they “ lost” in the last contract.
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It’s really quite simple. The owners will stand firm in the hopes that the players cave. Once we get to early March and the players have not given in, the owners will move enough to get a deal done.
Of course, I could be wrong about that.
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Just thinking out loud, there isn’t going to be anything soon – MLB is not wanting to give into anything. From start to finish ST is 6 weeks…i think it’s another month until they get their asses in gear as much as I hate it. I’d love for a quicker resolution but if the current climate is indicative, it won’t be soon
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I predict we won’t see any baseball until sometime in June, owners want more control over the players, and the players are still smarting over the last CBA, this equals a long negotiation.
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Tmax, I read back in August that the league had enough to suspend Bauer for 2022, but after the Ozuna suspension I don’t think it will happen, heck he may get off from mlb with time served.
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Jeremy Giambi dead at age 47. My exe girlfriend’s son played ball with him and his brother in high school and other leagues. Not sure of the cause yet. A long lockout is going to cripple the game. They just keep shooting themselves in the foot.
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One shot in the foot should be enough.
I think maybe so many other, more important issues, are in the wind and in LA the Super Bowl is front and center, so petty b.s. between billionaires and millionaires is back page
Boycott Opening Day. If not spending the increased FCI for Dodger Stadium then boycott Spring Training. If fans don’t send a message this nonsense will continue. My prediction: already gave it. Fans are suckers. Maybe another definition more fitting would be fans are addicts. No matter the cost, they will pay and show up painted blue in $300 out fits holding $100. tickets. In football they wear horns, cheese and pumpkins on their heads. Owners and players know they’ve got us. They will win this battle.
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Think you are right scoop. Owners Aren’t going to give up much. Most have less to lose . Players lose everything. It would be nice to know what exactly the owners would lose. If two thirds don’t make any money then they will drag it. If two thirds make money it will be over sooner than later. I also think we will lose 40 or so games before players get tired of bagging groceries.
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For the record Gordon when I said they will win this battle I meant both owners and players will win, and we fans will pay for all of it.
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I got that but what do the players and owners care about the fans. I guess the owners might care if nobody shows up at the games, but as you say we are the suckers and will show up.
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It’s interesting that some people take this personally. It’s not about the fans it’s about Labor and Ownership. Those two entities are in a struggle to hammer out contract terms. They don’t care nor should they about the fans. Decide to boycott fine I certainly won’t as I like the game. But I am not angry or losing sleep over this. Life goes on…I am disappointed as I live in AZ that I will probably see a very abbreviated Spring Training if we are lucky. I can entertain myself in other ways. I do not demonize the players.
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Wow. Spoken like a true 1%er Tmax. Who cares about the little guy, without whom nothing gets done.
I say again, I love the game, but the business of baseball is being fought by selfish elites.
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You are confused. I am almost always for Labor and I do not get confused by political propaganda like 35% or more of the populace on who is for the workers generating the product. This is not about YOU Scoop it’s about the Players and the thousands of Minor Leaguers making subsistence pay and may never get a glimpse of the Show. Your salary and future are not being negotiated. It’s the Players. I keep hearing guys whining about the Player’s salaries so what! The Players are generating the money by their performance! Why do so many get angry at the Players wanting more of a share? Are you saying the Rich owners will take care of the players/workers? So we miss some baseball so what?
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I could get behind a 154 game season and expanded playoff. Play players for a full season with a full season being 14 games.
Shorten the time between innings by having announcers weave in advertisements during the game. Add a few banner ads on the TV during the game as well.
Oh, and move the Rays to Oregon.
I still like having the CBT on individual salaries and not team total salaries.
Trade Bauer.
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My fingers aren’t working too well this morning.
I could get behind a 154 game season and expanded playoff. Pay players for a full season with a full season being 154 games.
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I think 154 game season and expanded playoffs is a good idea.
Trade Bauer to who? We’d likely have to pay most of his salary. Unless the Yankees want him. Texas has already spent a lot of money. So have the Angels, who could use him.
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Texas is still 40-50 million under their highest ever payroll. They could afford a major chunk of Bauer’s salary or Freeman if they wanted to.
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That’s true. But I think they would rather spend it elsewhere. I think that’s probably true with most teams that could afford him. Texas needs a bunch of players to get close to being competitive.
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Texas has a couple of prospects I would like to get and then trade to Oakland for Montas. Texas like all teams need pitching but I admit they are looking to trade with Oakland themselves for Olsen. Seager can tell TX what a great guy Bauer is.
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I don’t know man, Trevor Bauer in Texas? I could be wrong but I don’t see it.
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All depends on how much of his salary they’d have to pay. They could certainly use him.
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