Selig On Draft, Playoffs, Realignment, Replay

Commissioner Bud Selig held a chat with fans yesterday and he touched on a number of issues that we focus on here at MLBTR, plus some other items of interest. Here are some highlights from Selig’s chat at MLB.com:

• Collective bargaining between the players and the owners has been “constructive” so far, but it’s still early.
• Not surprisingly, there’s no chance of a salary cap in the upcoming collective bargaining agreement.
• Selig repeated his support for slotting and a worldwide draft and said the sides are discussing both possibilities at the bargaining table.
• Stories about realignment are somewhat premature, according to Selig. He has had realignment on his mind for a while, but nothing is imminent.
• The Diamondbacks have been told that they will be able to stay in the NL West and that the Astros will ultimately be asked to move to the AL West in realignment, according to Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com (on Twitter).
• The commissioner would like to see two additional playoff teams in the near future.
• There are no plans to remove the designated hitter or expand the role of the DH.
• There’s not much of an appetite for expanding instant replay within the game, according to Selig. However, MLB is considering “significant adjustments” to baseball’s current instant replay rules.
• Selig told reporters today that he remains firm on his decision to retire after 2012, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post.