With the lockout formally in place, teams are barred from making any major league transactions. That includes any move involving a player who was recently designated for assignment, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes has learned (Twitter link). This had also been the case for players DFA’d shortly before 2020’s pandemic-driven transaction freeze.
Angels left-hander Sam Selman, Phillies right-hander Adonis Medina and Dodgers infielder Sheldon Neuse were all designated for assignment within the two hour span preceding the transaction freeze last night. They lost their roster spots as teams scrambled to find space for other last-minute additions before the previous collective bargaining agreement expired. Those players will remain in DFA limbo throughout the duration of a work stoppage.
Only a small handful of players find themselves in this particular predicament, and they’d have been prohibited from contact with team personnel during the lockout even had they not been DFA’d. Yet that group now finds themselves in an extended window of uncertainty regarding their 2022 employment. They remain members of the organizations that designated them for assignment yesterday, but they no longer occupy a spot on clubs’ 40-man rosters. Upon agreement on a new CBA, teams will have a window to explore trades or expose those players to waivers.
Hopefully the owner billionaires can stop being frugal and we can get a semblance of happiness back during these trying times.
Lol, negotiations aren’t a one way street.
Won’t someone think of the owners?!
Both parties need each other. Period.
Kinda, but not really. Quick thought experiment: If all union players disappeared today, what would the owners do? If MLB clubs disappeared today, what would the players do?
The next best alternative to the status quo for each party is very different. Clubs could replace players overnight. Without MLB, players would either go to another league (at a massive paycut) or find jobs outside of baseball, where only a small contingent have skills approaching 7- and 8-figure salaries.
OR… the players would organize their own league. Honestly, who needs owners? Municipalities own the stadiums., so what do owners actually provide of value? If I’m Fox, I’d rather pay to rights to a new upstart league with best players than bogus AAA scabs wearing uniforms of MLB team.
Frugal. Look at other sports. Frugal, is Stanton, Cole contracts Frugal. $530,ooo as a min. Do you get that a year and get a raise when you have a bad year. $21 million for a pitcher who hasn’t pitched more than 2 innings in 2 years and at worst would have been paid $18.4. Business owner take the risk not the players. Frugal
The players don’t need a lockout to try launching a player-owned league. It’s near-impossible to compete with MLB, which is why they haven’t. Whoever put up the money would become what the owners are now anyway.
Some guy 2, wrong, the Yankees and Mets own their own stadiums. So where in NY would they play. I think the Dodgers too. Also I believe naming rights and lease agreements are with the team owners. Owners still have to pay if they’re leasing. Also how quickly do you think player, who are mostly under 30 years old would do that. And who would you get. Any player making $10+ million a year wouldn’t play because a new league couldn’t afford to pay that much. TV contracts wouldn’t be done so how do you get fans.
Unfortunately, existing TV contracts are with team owners and the MLB. It’s not simple to start a new league with multi-billion dollar TV contracts, but the players have the skills that cannot be easily replaced.
So, both parties need each other. Period. It’s just like any other industry…owners/management need employees.
The owners need players, sure, just not THESE players. Most industries are the same – they need employees, but not necessarily the ones they have today, and certainly not at 50x-100x the salary of a less-talented-but-decent replacement.
Some guy, owners finance everything, except for some cities like Atlanta, tax players financed a large part of that stadium..But they bring in advertising, tv deals, etc., and financially back and pay for all the support staff to make everything work.
You think it is easy running a league without an absurd amount of funding?? Why do you think Alternative leagues never really get off the ground??
It isn’t just because a lack of talent or intrigue, it’s almost always a lack of funding..
Very VERY FEW people are going to out up the STUPID amount of money it would cost to start up a new league, one that could rival MLB, and just wait for a profit to come out of it…
I’m almost always pro-players, but both parties NEED EACHOTHER!! And I hate to say it, but the players need the owners and MLB more..They can always get replacements..It might not be as high as quality, but people will still watch regardless of the sport, and the owners can wait it out because eventually the players will have to fold due to their bills ajd being used to living a type of lifestyle..
Plus, most MiL players aren’t exactly living the rich life anyways. They really cannot afford to sit out for very long..
Several stadiums are not owned by the cities.
Go for it.
Yeh new leagues have worked so well in sports.. thats why most are defunct. Players play, the owners have the capital and the business experience to run the show. it would take years for players to build that, if ever. They both make plenty of money, getting greedy doesn’t help either side. But the greed is what drives sports now for players and owners. Won’t change
What a naive take. Thinking that players could just start their own league misses so much
If there was no MLB, the owners would continue running the businesses that made them wealthy enough to be able to own a team. The players would be wishing they had finished that college education.
I can’t believe I’m in agreement with a Braves fan :p….I jest
Frugal. Look at other sports. Frugal, is Stanton, Cole contracts Frugal. $530,ooo as a min. Do you get that a year and get a raise when you have a bad year. $21 million for a pitcher who hasn’t pitched more than 2 innings in 2 years and at worst would have been paid $18.4. Business owner take the risk not the players. Frugal
Must be an agent
Owners are billionaires on paper/assets. Not salary. Players are millionaires on salary.
Neuse is definitely worth taking a chance on.
His best option is to play in Japan or South Korea. Right now, he is nothing more than a 4-A utility player.
Agree, his bat misses a LOT of pitches.
I wonder if any teams try to be sneaky and end up getting busted. What would the penalty be?
The penalty for being sneaky? Oh those may include federal and state charges. /S
Definitely guilty in the court of public opinion and perhaps even CANCELLED!! Gasp!!!
Did Houston or the others (it was not just them) Bonds, etc get anything done to them
I believe that could be considered an unfair labor practice and the team/league could be brought up on labor charges to the NLRB.
Hey, at least it’s a very small club to be in!
Going from a gazillion high profile signings in the last few days to no baseball activity whatsoever makes me feel feelings.
If I was Sheldon Neuse I would get my agent on finding a spot on a Korean team before they fill up . Get yourself $850,000 one year contract .
He can’t do that since he’s still technically under contract; the Dodgers would have had to release him instead of DFAing him.
It sucks too, because if KBO or NPB teams fulfill their American player quota while he’s in limbo, he could have missed out on a big opportunity.
Actually I believe players are allowed to play in other leagues during a lockout. Similar to what a lot of NHL players did during the 04-05 lockout.
I assume agents are not allowed to talk with teams.
Can they still sign a minor league deal without a guaranteed 40-man spot along with an invite to Spring Training?
It might be months before they finally receive an assignment yet it supposed to only be 7 days. Might be longest DFAs ever. Making history.
I am pretty sure that also means their families are without health insurance. Talking to players over the years the difference between minor league health insurance plans and major league health insurance plans is substantial.
God forbid a 24yr old have sub-par health insurance for 5 months.
You take sub par health insurance for five months then.
Ah, so you’re a risk taker with someone else’s health. A true high stakes gambler…
Frugal. Look at other sports. Frugal, is Stanton, Cole contracts Frugal. $530,ooo as a min. Do you get that a year and get a raise when you have a bad year. $21 million for a pitcher who hasn’t pitched more than 2 innings in 2 years and at worst would have been paid $18.4. Business owner take the risk not the players. Frugal.
You keep saying that.
Feeling frugal!!!
Did Houston or the others (it was not just them) Bonds, etc get anything done to them
Their immortal souls are trapped in limbo. Thoughts and prayers. ✝️
It’s pretty obvious that both parties need to have mediation by a third party who decides in the best interests of both parties.