The original start of Spring Training, when pitchers and catchers were to report, has come and gone, and yet no agreement has been met between the owners and players. The season most definitely will not start in time.
Continue reading “Juan Soto and Freddie Freeman – Future Dodgers?”
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.
Continue reading “Dodgers News and Notes: Dave Roberts Extension, MLB Lockout and More”
Well folks, we’ve reached February and although the MLBPA and Major League Baseball have met in recent days, they are no closer to reaching an agreement than when the lockout started in early December.
With Spring Training scheduled to start in two weeks for pitchers and catchers, the possibility of the season starting on time is getting smaller with each second that passes by.
The two sides remain far apart, and it seems that the Players Union is the only one willing to negotiate. The MLBPA proposed the following two areas on Tuesday-
Negotiations were said to be “heated” in a meeting that lasted just 90 minutes. When the two sides last week, MLB agreed to the concept of the bonus pool, but were starting with just $10 million.
In an article by Evan Drellich, the union’s plan would award a full year of MLB service time to rookies who finish in the top five in their league for Rookie of the Year, top three for reliever of the year and/or make first- or second-team All-MLB. Using an average of bWAR and fWAR, non-outfielders and non-pitchers who finish in the top seven of their positions in their respective leagues also would qualify, as would pitchers and outfielders who finish in the top 20. Previously, the union offered top 10 and top 30 respectively.
There currently is no plan for the two sides to meet again. It could happen later this week, it may not be until next week, when there is a regular quarterly meeting of owners in Florida. It is not probable that there would be a lockout meeting while the owners are meeting, however. If nothing happens next week, then we are on to the next week, when spring training is supposed to start. So unless something drastic happens, do not count on spring training and probably the season starting on time.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spoke with SNLA’s Kirsten Watson on Tuesday about what has been the hardest part of the lockout for him personally.
“It’s been different this time, with the lock out, and I can’t…. This is the time where I really connect with the players, and get the vibe of how things are going and talk to them about spring training and how their off-seasons are going and right now we can’t talk to the player so that’s been different….I love time with the family but I’m staring to get antsy for things to start”.
He went on to say that at this point, he and the coaching staff have plans A, B, C, and D as far as the roster when baseball resumes, and believes that it will move quickly once it does.
Roberts also mentioned the president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and the front office are having conversations, and that that he (Roberts) believes there will be a lot of player movement once the lockout is resolved.
Tangentially, ZiPS has the Dodgers winning the most games in the National League next season, roster as is. No doubt Friedman and company have many different plans for shoring up the pitching staff and bettering the team.
Once again Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have met to discuss the current lockout, and once again we are no closer to not knowing when the lockout will end and if the season will start on time.
Continue reading “Should the Dodgers Sign Freddie Freeman, and Should a Trade Follow?”
Supposedly, Major League Baseball and the Players Association are going to meet Thursday to start talking again about their wide and varied interests before getting the 2022 season rolling. We as fans know enough not to hold our collective breath as talks could break down any minute.
Continue reading “Three 2022 Dodgers Additions Already with the Team”
We are now about six weeks away from what should be the time when pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training. However, we don’t seem to be any closer to a resolution between the Players Association and Major League Baseball.
Continue reading “Thoughts on Major League Baseball and Its Lockdown”
We’ve arrived at the Winter Solstice, and from now on the days will slowly start to get a little longer, and inch us a little closer to baseball. Hopefully, Major League Baseball and The Players Union also start to work towards a new CBA so baseball doesn’t continue to stay out of our reach.
Continue reading “Matt Beaty and Chris Taylor Give Back at the Holidays”
Content Warning – sexual assault and abuse
Baseball players, along with most athletes, are often times held to a reverence where they seem they are above reproach, just because they spark joy playing a little kid’s game. You fall in love with the way they play, their smile, their love of the game that just seems contagious in the way they play.
Continue reading “On Yasiel Puig, and Fandom When Players and Sports Let You Down”
The MLB Lockout has enters its second week, with no movement from either side. Still, rumors seem to abound about what players teams could be interested in when negotiations can resume.
Since Corey Seager signed a 10-year, $350M contract to play with the Texas Rangers, the Dodgers are said to have turned their sights on Carlos Correa.
Continue reading “On the Dodgers and Those Carlos Correa Rumors”
The Hot Stove season is starting to heat up in Major League Baseball, as some free agents and trades are beginning to happen.
Many think that there will be a flurry of moves before the December 1st deadline in which a new collective bargaining agreement needs to be met. New Dodger Andrew Heaney mentioned this in his decision to sign early with the team, so he could avoid that and get started on getting his pitching back on track sooner.
Continue reading “What Would Chris Taylor’s Departure Mean for the Dodgers?”
Think Blue Planning Committee 