By Darragh McDonald | at
The Nationals announced that they have claimed right-hander Paxton Schultz off waivers from the Blue Jays. The Jays designated the righty for assignment recently when they signed Kazuma Okamoto. The Nats opened a 40-man roster spot earlier today by releasing Sauryn Lao.
More to come.
By Darragh McDonald | at
The Mets announced that infielder/outfielder Ji Hwan Bae has been sent outright Triple-A Syracuse. When combined with the club losing Drew Romo via waivers to the White Sox, the Mets’ 40-man roster count dropped to 38 this week.
More to come.
By Darragh McDonald | at
The Dodgers have claimed infielder Ryan Fitzgerald off waivers from the Twins, reports Alden González of ESPN. Minnesota designated him for assignment a week ago when they acquired Eric Wagaman from the Marlins. The Dodgers had an open 40-man spot due to trading outfielder Esteury Ruiz to the Marlins last month, which prompted the Fish to designate Wagaman for assignment.
Though the teams surely didn’t plan it this way, it works out to essentially be an accidental three-team trade over the span of a couple of weeks. The Dodgers flipped Ruiz to the Marlins in late December for minor league pitcher Adriano Marrero. Miami bumped Wagaman off their roster and then traded him to Minnesota for minor league pitcher Kade Bragg. That led to Fitzgerald getting bumped off the Minnesota roster and landing with Los Angeles.
Fitzgerald, 32 in June, just got to make his major league debut. After years grinding away in independent ball and the minor leagues, the Twins called him up to the show last year a bit before his 31st birthday. He stepped to the plate 53 times in 24 games and produced a .196/.302/.457 batting line while playing all four infield positions. He stole just one base but his sprint speed was ranked in the 79th percentile of big leaguers last year. He had a better batting line of .277/.367/.469 in Triple-A last year, though that was aided by a .349 batting average on balls in play.
The Dodgers are one of the best teams in baseball, having won the World Series in the past two seasons. They won’t need Fitzgerald to be an everyday player but his versatility is surely appealing for depth purposes, especially considering the veteran nature of their infield. Their shortstop is Mookie Betts, who is 33 years old and was an outfielder until recently. They have 35-year-old Max Muncy at third and 36-year-old Freddie Freeman at first.
Second base is fairly open, with Tommy Edman, Hyeseong Kim, Miguel Rojas and Alex Freeland in the mix there. Edman can also play the outfield and is also coming off ankle surgery. Kim can play multiple positions. Rojas is about to turn 37. Freeland is one of the club’s top prospects and has options, so perhaps he could end up getting regular playing time in the minors as opposed to holding a part-time role in the big leagues.
Since Fitzgerald can play all over and has a bit of speed, he could be an attractive bench piece. He could give the veterans the occasional day off or replace them mid-game in blowouts. His wheels could also allow him to pinch run on occasion.
Fitzgerald also has a couple of options remaining, so he could simply be stashed in the minors as depth to be on hand for when injuries arise throughout the year. He has just 65 days of big league service time, meaning he’s still being paid around the league minimum and is at least three years away from qualifying for arbitration.
Photo courtesy of Jesse Johnson, Imagn Images
By Darragh McDonald | at
The nine MLB teams who had contracts with Main Street Sports have terminated those contracts with the company. It’s possible that some of them eventually work out new deals with the broadcaster, which operates channels under the FanDuel Sports Network banner. The teams are the Braves, Reds, Tigers, Royals, Angels, Marlins, Brewers, Cardinals and Rays. Talks between the company and the teams are ongoing. Various elements of this developing story were reported by Evan Drellich of The Athletic, Alden González of ESPN, Ronald Blum of the Associated Press, Tom Friend of the Sports Business Journal and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
The issue is due to the poor financial state of the company. They have recently missed payments to several teams, including the Cardinals and Marlins, but possibly others. The nine teams have cut ties with the company for now to keep them away from potential bankruptcy proceedings and explore other options, but it’s possible some teams will eventually sign new pacts with the company. Main Street is trying to find a buyer, though the reporting indicates talks with DAZN have fizzled out. Fubo TV might have stepped into the bidding but there are conflicting reports about that.
This is just the latest chapter in a saga that goes back quite a while, with cord cutting and streaming having chipped away the regional sports network (RSN) model. The company was previously known as Diamond Sports Group with channels marketed as Bally Sports. Going into 2023, 14 MLB clubs and many teams in other sports leagues had RSN deals with the company. But trouble emerged early that year when the company missed some payments. They filed for bankruptcy in March of 2023.
The company eventually emerged from bankruptcy in November of 2024 and then rebranded. Along the way, many of their deals with MLB clubs fell apart. In some cases, new deals were worked out. In other cases, the league took over broadcasting duties. The Rangers went a different route and launched their own RSN. Coming into 2026, Main Street has 29 deals with teams across MLB, the NBA and NHL.
The path of MLB handling the broadcasts will be available for all the clubs involved here. “No matter what happens, whether it’s Main Street, a third party or MLB media, fans are going to have the games,” commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday, per Blum.
The MLB path is largely inconsequential for fans. If anything, it’s a better arrangement. MLB still puts the games on cable. For cord-cutters, they have the option of streaming the club by paying the league directly, with no local blackouts.
For the teams, however, it’s not a great situation. RSN deals have been a big source of revenue over the years. The bankruptcy of Diamond/Main Street put many of them in a tough position. Renegotiating with the company meant accepting lower fees than they had been receiving on their previous deals. Going with MLB would allow them to potentially reach more fans but the revenue in that path is both lesser and not guaranteed, as the money is contingent on how many people sign up to stream.
MLB handled the broadcasts of five clubs in 2025: the Padres, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Twins and Guardians. It was reported in September that the Mariners would go down this route in 2026. This week’s reporting suggests the Nationals will likely leave MASN and join with the league as well.
In the cases of at least a few of these teams, the situation seems to had on-field implications by reducing the club’s spending capacity when it comes to player payroll. The Padres and Twins, for instance, have been trying to strike a delicate balance of staying in contention while having less to spend on players than the front office may have once anticipated.
That’s obviously a disadvantage compared to some big-market clubs, many of whom are co-owners in RSNs which are relatively healthy in larger population areas. In July of 2024, it was reported that the league and the MLB Players Association had agreed to redirect some competitive balance tax money to teams impacted by the television situation. This week’s reporting indicates that arrangement was for 2024 alone. There was no such deal in place for 2025 and there’s currently nothing lined up for 2026 either.
“The clubs have control over the timing,” Manfred said this week. “They can make a decision to move to MLB Media because of the contractual status now. I think that what’s happening right now clubs are evaluating their alternatives. Obviously they’ve made significant payroll commitments already and they’re evaluating the alternatives to find the best revenue source for the year and the best outlet in terms of providing quality broadcasts to their fans.”
With this situation and other disruptive developments in terms of MLB’s broadcast landscape, the league’s preference has been to not sign any new contracts that go beyond the 2028 season. It has been reported that many of MLB’s broadcast deals expire after that season. Manfred hopes to put together a league-wide streaming service with no blackouts and/or have a big auction of rights to various games, with multiple broadcasters bidding against each other.
A mini version of this happened recently when MLB’s deal with ESPN fell apart. The league then split up ESPN’s previous package, selling some of it back to ESPN along with other elements. Netflix bought the rights to Opening Day, the Home Run Derby and some other special events. NBC/Peacock bought Sunday Night Baseball and the Wild Card round from 2026 to 2028, as well as other events. ESPN acquired the local rights for the Padres, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Guardians and Twins as part of their new deal.
All of this figures to hang over the upcoming collective bargaining agreement negotiations. The current CBA expires after the 2026 season. Another lockout, like the one in 2021-22, is widely expected. Manfred has essentially admitted that one will occur by speaking positively about the lockout process.
Whether that lockout extends long enough to cancel games in 2027 remains to be seen. The players and the union are already concerned by a lack of spending from some clubs and the RSN situation will likely only exacerbate that. Some of the impacted clubs would likely welcome more revenue sharing but the bigger clubs wouldn’t be as keen on that. The owners are expected to push for a salary cap but the players are strongly opposed to that.
Manfred has made plenty of unpopular moves in his time as commissioner but he can currently point to a legacy that includes no games missed due to labor strife. Baseball’s popularity is also on the rise, despite the aforementioned TV disruption. Game Seven of the 2025 World Series was the most-watched game around the world since 1991. The uptick in ratings and attendance has been attributed by many to recent rule changes, particularly the pitch clock.
Disrupting the 2027 season would impact that legacy and also cut into baseball’s recent surge, which would be inopportune timing with the aforementioned future broadcast plans. Manfred is signed through 2029 and does not plan to seek another term after that.
Photo courtesy of Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images
By Darragh McDonald | at
Second baseman Ketel Marte has been in trade rumors all winter but is going to stay in Arizona. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Marte will not be traded. Marte will therefore open the season at the keystone with the Diamondbacks.
This always seemed to be the most likely outcome. Very early in the offseason, general manager Mike Hazen said that other teams would call about Marte and he would listen to their offers but he considered it unlikely that anything would come together.
It’s perfectly understandable why teams would try, as Marte is one of the better players in the game today. Over the past three years, he’s hit 89 home runs. His 11.2% walk rate and 16.7% strikeout rate are both strong figures. His combined line of .283/.368/.519 translates to a 140 wRC+, one of the ten best figures among qualified hitters for that span.
On top of the performance, his contract is team-friendly, relatively speaking. He is owed $102.5MM over the next six seasons, barely over $17MM per year. That’s a decent chunk of change but many other superstar players make between $30 to $50MM annually, which makes the Marte deal a bargain.
That makes him incredibly valuable for the Diamondbacks but there were still reasons to think they might be open to a deal. For one, Marte is on the cusp of ten-and-five rights. A player gets full no-trade protection when they have ten years of service time and have spent the past five seasons with the same club. Marte has been with the Diamondbacks for nine years and is just ten days away from hitting the ten-year service mark. His current deal only allows him to block deals to five clubs. If there was a time for the Snakes to trade Marte, it would be now, as it will be harder in the future.
On top of that, Arizona needs pitching and appears to have a tight budget. There was also some reported clubhouse discord during the 2025 season, as some fellow Snakes appeared disgruntled at Marte’s penchant for missing games. Put it all together and it was at least possible to see the Diamondbacks going down a path where they traded Marte for pitching, while also freeing up some cash for other pursuits, such as their reported interest in Alex Bregman.
Regardless, Hazen would downplay the possibility whenever asked, highlighting that Marte is one of the club’s best players and a key part of their plans to contend. Though he dutifully listened to other clubs, he said a little over a week ago that the club would have to shut the door at some point in order to narrow their focus on building out the 2026 roster. It seems that they never got an offer they considered viable and have officially taken Marte off the market.
Though this is a story about the lack of a move, there are sure to be ripple effects regardless. Teams such as the Pirates, Giants, Mariners, Rays, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Phillies, and Tigers all reportedly showed some degree of interest in Marte this offseason. Those clubs will have pivot to other options, if they haven’t already. Bregman and Bo Bichette are prominent free agent infielders and some of those clubs have been connected to one or both of that duo. Others could perhaps intensify their pursuits of Brendan Donovan, who is still with the Cardinals.
It also likely removes one suitor from Bregman’s market, as Arizona’s interest in him seemed contingent on them also lining up a Marte trade. Rosenthal reports that it’s still somewhat possible for Arizona to pursue Bregman but not probable. That’s not great for Bregman but the flip side is that a team such as the the Red Sox, who were prominently tied to Marte, might now have to more seriously consider Bregman.
As for the Diamondbacks, they could still use some more pitching, some help in the outfield and/or at first base. With Marte staying put, they are presumably more likely to go after free agents in the coming weeks. RosterResource projects them for a payroll about $20MM below where they finished last year. They are expected to scale back a bit but it’s unclear exactly how much dry powder they have for making additions.
Photo courtesy of Denis Poroy, Imagn Images
By Darragh McDonald | at
The Nationals announced today that right-hander Sauryn Lao has been released to pursue an opportunity in Japan. The club’s 40-man roster count drops to 39. Mike Rodriguez reported last month that Lao had agreed to a deal with the Nippon-Ham Fighters of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. Per Rodriguez, that deal is for one guaranteed year with a club option for 2027 and could end up paying more than $3MM.
Lao, 26, landed with the Nats via waivers in September. He had made his major league debut with the Mariners earlier in 2025. Between the two clubs, he tossed 11 innings, allowing six earned runs while striking out nine opponents.
He began his professional career as an international signing of the Dodgers back in 2015. Initially an infielder, he couldn’t hit enough to get beyond the High-A level, so the Dodgers put him on the mound in 2023. He showed some encouraging results for a couple of years but didn’t get a roster spot. He became a minor league free agent after 2024 and landed a minor league deal with the Mariners.
His track record in the majors is obviously still quite limited but his results in the minors have been good. He tossed 74 2/3 Triple-A innings last year over 25 appearances. 19 of those were technically starts, though mostly in the range of two to four innings. He allowed 3.01 earned runs per nine with a 24.7% strikeout rate and 6.9% walk rate, both solid figures.
Despite the solid numbers, his path to regular big league playing time would have been a bit challenging. He has two option years, meaning he could be sent to the minors regularly for another two years. Even if he carved out a regular role in the bigs, he only has 24 days of big league service time, meaning he would be three years away from an arbitration raise.
Taking the opportunity to go overseas gives him a better chance to pitch on a big stage and bank some notable earnings in the next few years. Since he’s still in his mid-20s, perhaps he can try to return to North American ball in a few years if he has some success overseas.
For the Nats, they are losing an arm they liked enough to grab from the waiver wire. However, clubs generally don’t stand in the way of players pursuing such opportunities in other leagues. The front office has also been overhauled since the claim of Lao, so it’s entirely possible the new regime was less attached to him than the previous one. The Nats will likely receive a nominal release fee from the Fighters.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
By Nick Deeds | at
Here are three things around the baseball world to keep an eye on headed into the weekend:
1. Will Skubal go to a hearing?
The Tigers and reigning AL Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal made waves yesterday when they failed to reach an agreement to avoid arbitration prior to the filing deadline. The sides filed at a record-breaking $13MM apart, with the Tigers putting forward a $19MM filing figure while Skubal’s camp countered at $32MM. If the sides end up going to a trial, it would be one of the most impactful decisions ever made at the league’s arbitration hearings. The current record for a pitcher’s salary in arbitration is held by David Price and sits at just $19.75MM. A victory in this case for Skubal would utterly shatter that record, and it’s not hard to see why he might deserve that sort of price tag given his incredible back-to-back Cy Young award winning seasons the past two years. Of course, arbitration hearings don’t begin until the end of the month. That means it’s entirely possible the sides could reach an agreement to avoid arbitration before the hearing, although the “file-and-trial” approach most teams have taken to arbitration in recent years suggests that could be unlikely.
2. What’s next for Bellinger, Yankees?
A reunion between Cody Bellinger and the Yankees has long appeared to be the most likely outcome for the two sides this offseason. That might still be the case, but the two camps appear to be at an impasse for the time being. Reporting has indicated that New York put forward an offer to Bellinger with an average annual value in excess of $30MM, but that the sides remain apart in terms of contract length. That’s an extremely hefty annual salary, and beats the $28MM AAV (on a five year deal guaranteeing $140MM) MLBTR predicted for Bellinger at the outset of the offseason by a healthy margin. With that being said, the length of that contract offer is not yet known and could significant alter the overall value of that contract. A four-year deal with an AAV in the range of even $32MM would fall short of the total guarantee MLBTR projected, after all.
In any case, Bellinger seems to be prioritizing length with his next contract after signing short-term deals in his last two forays through free agency. The outfielder is reportedly seeking a seven-year contract, and that’s seemingly led both sides to evaluate other options. The Cubs are a surprising recent entrant into the Bellinger sweepstakes, while the Yankees could realistically pivot to another big bat on the market like Kyle Tucker or Bo Bichette. Will the sides split up over this gap in negotiations, or will they find a way to bridge it in the coming days and weeks?
3. Red Sox to host Fenway Fest:
January marks the start of Fan Fest season around the league, where teams hold fan conventions and celebrations in advance of the coming season. The first team to do so this year is the Red Sox, who will host their annual Fenway Fest tomorrow. The event runs from 9am to 6pm local time at Fenway Park, and tickets include access to autograph and photo sessions with players and alumni, a handful of panel discussions, and giveaways. Players and alumni in attendance will include Pedro Martinez, Wade Boggs, Carlton Fisk, Roman Anthony, Aroldis Chapman, Marcelo Mayer, and Ceddanne Rafaela. A full list of players, alumni, and coaches in attendance can be found here alongside further details about the day’s festivities.
By Anthony Franco | at
The Tigers did not reach agreement with two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal on a deal to avoid arbitration this evening. They’re now likely headed for what would be the most significant hearing in memory. That’s due to an astronomical $13MM gap in the sides’ respective filing figures.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that Skubal is seeking a $32MM salary, while the Tigers filed at $19MM. The sides are free to continue negotiations right up to the hearing time, but teams typically adopt a “file-and-trial” approach and cease talks on one-year deals after figures are exchanged. If it gets to a hearing, an arbitrator can only choose either Skubal’s number or the team’s. Arbitrators are not permitted to land on a middle ground, so the result would be very consequential.
If it gets to a hearing, Skubal will be shooting for the largest arbitration salary ever. That record is held by Juan Soto, who settled on a $31MM deal with the Yankees in his final year before free agency. Shohei Ohtani and the Angels agreed to a $30MM deal in his final year of arbitration eligibility. They’re the only two players to reach that benchmark. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signed the loftiest deal in last winter’s class; he landed at $28.5MM.
While Skubal’s filing figure isn’t markedly above those of recent superstars, it would shatter the benchmark for pitchers. The arbitration process hasn’t rewarded high-end arms as handsomely as it does impact bats. In fact, no arb-eligible pitcher has commanded even $20MM. David Price still holds the record with a $19.75MM salary from back in 2015.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote about the potential for an historically significant hearing when examining Skubal’s arbitration case this morning. As Passan pointed out, the collective bargaining agreement allows players who are one year away from free agency to compare themselves not only to past arbitration precedents, but to free agents as well. There’s ample precedent for free agent pitchers commanding upwards of $30MM annually, with some late-career aces pulling more than $40MM per season on short-term deals. That provision hasn’t actually moved the market for arb-eligible pitchers forward to this point, however, and the aforementioned massive salaries for Soto, Ohtani and Guerrero were all agreed upon without a hearing.
The Tigers’ filing figure aligns with arbitration’s historical precedent against pitchers. It’s also much more aligned with the usual year-over-year escalating salaries associated with the process. Skubal received a $10.15MM salary last year. The largest yearly jump for a pitcher is held by Jacob deGrom, who earned a $9.6MM raise after winning his first career Cy Young in 2018. Detroit’s figure would give Skubal an $8.85MM boost after his second consecutive Cy Young award.
To a large extent, this serves as a test case for the arbitration process itself. That Price still holds the record for a pitcher shows how much the system has lagged when it comes to valuing arms (particularly in comparison to the escalating free agent prices for starters). Skubal and his representatives at the Boras Corporation are aiming to blow that wide open. That’d obviously be significant for the southpaw himself but would also go a long way toward raising the earning ceiling for future arms.
There’s no guarantee that this actually gets to a hearing. Player and team would have a lot of money at stake if it does, and they’d each avoid the unpredictability of relying on the arbitrators if they settle on a deal in the mid-$20MM range. However, this kind of situation is precisely why teams prefer the file-and-trial approach. That’s designed to prevent the player from filing well above their expected value to anchor future talks from a higher baseline. Refusing to continue negotiating after numbers are exchanged prevents that situation. If the player files very high, the club feels good about its chances of winning a lower than expected number at the hearing.
It all makes sense in theory, but the stakes of a potential hearing in this case are higher than any in team history. They’d need to operate for the next month or so with a $13MM range in their payroll projection, which could hinder short-term free agent or trade activity. Skubal is one year from free agency and trending towards the largest pitching contract ever. If the Tigers feel they have any chance to re-sign him, they may not want to run the risk of an inherently adversarial hearing.
There’d also be ramifications if they put him on the trade market — either before Opening Day or, far more likely, if they fall out of contention before the deadline. One year of Skubal would have immense trade value regardless of his salary, but he’d be much more appealing to other clubs on a $19MM sum than he would at $32MM.
By Anthony Franco and Charlie Wright | at
The Yankees have made multiple offers to Cody Bellinger in recent weeks. Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports that the most recent had an average annual value north of $30MM. However, the sides are still held up on contract length.
Kuty writes that Bellinger’s camp continues to push for a seven-year contract. It’s not known how many years the Yankees are willing to go, but it has thus far apparently been less than seven. Jon Morosi of The MLB Network suggested earlier this week that the team was more comfortable with a four- or five-year commitment.
The rumored proposal from New York would put Bellinger in the range of the most expensive bats to sign this offseason, at least on an annual basis. Kyle Schwarber re-signed with the Phillies for five years and $150MM. Pete Alonso received a five-year, $155MM deal from Baltimore. If the Yankees get their wish regarding the contract length, Bellinger’s deal likely ends up looking a lot like the Schwarber and Alonso pacts. MLB Trade Rumors settled on a five-year, $140MM contract in our list of the top 50 free agents.
As Kuty notes, a contract exceeding $30MM a year would make Bellinger one of the highest-paid outfielders in the league. Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, and Mookie Betts (if he still counts) are the only outfielders making more than $30MM per season. It would also be a significant jump from his recent contracts, as the market has treated him with trepidation in previous years.
After the Dodgers moved on from Bellinger following the 2022 season, the Cubs scooped him up on a one-year, $17.5MM deal. Bellinger rewarded Chicago with a 20/20 campaign, but it wasn’t enough to land a long-term contract. He ended up back with the Cubs on a three-year, $80MM deal with opt-outs after each season. Bellinger didn’t opt out after a middling 2024 and was then traded to New York. The Yankees were able to land him just by sending over Cody Poteet and agreeing to pay all but $5MM left on Bellinger’s contract.
Bellinger unsurprisingly opted out of the final year of his deal after a strong season in New York. Regardless of where he ends up, he should be able to top the $25MM he was slated to make in 2026. Bellinger slugged 29 home runs last year, the most since his NL MVP campaign in 2019. He added 13 steals and nearly drove in 100 runs. Bellinger also provided stellar defense, with both Defensive Runs Saved (+11) and Outs Above Average (+7) praising his work in the field. Bellinger logged 300+ innings at all three outfield positions. He also made a handful of appearances at first base. The Yankees didn’t need his services in the infield with Paul Goldschmidt on board, but he could be an asset there if needed.
In addition to the considerable counting stats, Bellinger also made some improvements under the hood in 2025. He bumped his hard-hit rate to 37.9%. That mark is just above league average, but it’s a big improvement from recent seasons. Bellinger’s 31.4% hard-hit rate in 2023 was among the reasons he failed to secure a long-term deal after his first year with the Cubs. While he hit .307 that season, it was likely fueled by a career-high .319 BABIP. His xBA (.268) was nearly 40 points lower than his actual mark. Bellinger’s hard-hit rate improved to a still-underwhelming 32.9% in 2024, while his bat speed slipped to 69 mph, which ranked in the 13th percentile.
Bellinger also made more contact this past season. His 13.7% strikeout rate was the best mark of his career, as was his 7.6% swinging-strike rate. Bellinger ranked 26th among all qualified hitters with a 91% zone contact rate. He’d only been above 87% once in his career before 2025. Average batted ball metrics combined with elite contact skills could portend continued success for the 30-year-old Bellinger, particularly if he stays in New York. He slashed an uninspiring .241/.301/.414 on the road last year.
By Anthony Franco | at
Major League Baseball has had conversations about what would be radical changes to the schedule. Commissioner Rob Manfred made an appearance on New York’s WFAN with Craig Carton and Chris McMonigle and identified two possibilities that the league has discussed.
“We’ve talked about split seasons. We’ve talked about in-season tournaments,” Manfred said. “We do understand that 162 (games) is a long pull. I think the difficulty to accomplish those sort of in-season events, you almost inevitably start talking about fewer regular season games. It is a much more complicated thing in our sport than it is in other sports. Because of all of our season-long records, you’re playing around with something that people care a lot about.”
To be clear, it doesn’t appear that either idea is under serious consideration right now. Manfred only addressed the topic when asked directly whether the league would have any interest in something modeled after the NBA Cup. He responded by pointing to the challenges of implementing something similar in baseball, even as he acknowledged that they’ve given the concept some thought within the league offices.
The NBA introduced that in-season tournament during the 2023-24 campaign. It runs for roughly six weeks within the first half of the regular season. It involves every team and begins with group play followed by knockout rounds. Most of the games count towards a team’s regular season record. Players receive a cash bonus for winning or advancing deep into the tournament, and the winning team receives a trophy. The tournament has no impact on playoff seeding (aside from the games counting towards the regular season record).
MLB obviously would not need to follow the NBA model to a tee, nor is it likely they’d do so. The NBA Cup’s knockout rounds, comprised of the final eight teams, are single-elimination games. That’s very different than MLB’s series approach both during the regular season and the playoffs. That makes it more challenging from a scheduling perspective.
Even playing three-game series to determine multiple stages of a knockout round would leave a heavily unbalanced schedule for the clubs that advance. Playing them as single-elimination contests would complicate travel. MLB could carve out a couple weeks to run the tournament and determine that the games don’t count towards a team’s record, but that’d leave the teams that don’t advance with fewer overall games on the schedule. That comes with its own issues from a revenue perspective.
A split-season concept would be easier to implement. That’s in use in the minors all the way up to Triple-A. It essentially divides the season into two halves, each of which has its own winners. Those teams then play one another in the postseason, so a team can clinch a playoff berth by July. That theoretically keeps more fanbases engaged, as a team that plays terribly in April and May would have a fresh start in the second half rather than digging a potentially insurmountable hole.
However, this also raises the possibility that a team finishes second in its division in both halves and has the best overall record while still missing the playoffs (if the division winner in each half played poorly in the other). That happened to the 1981 Reds in MLB. There was a split season that year because of a midseason strike. Cincinnati was the best overall team in the National League but narrowly finished in second place in each half and was excluded from the playoff field.
This seems little more than an aside for now. There’s no harm for MLB in kicking around ideas internally. Even if they wanted to pursue them at some point, they’d need the Players Association to get on board.
A significant change which the league is actively pursuing is expansion. Manfred is planning to retire three years from now and has said he wants the ball rolling on moving from 30 to 32 clubs before he steps away. That’d lead to divisional realignment, likely with geographic conferences that each have four divisions with four teams apiece — as is the case in the NFL.
Manfred said his preference in that situation would be to keep the cities that have two teams (New York, Los Angeles and Chicago) in separate leagues. That’s also the arrangement in the NFL. Manfred will no longer be the commissioner once that comes into place — expansion is a multi-year process that won’t begin before the expiration of the CBA in December — but his comments provide a window into the league’s thinking at the moment.
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