On Thursday, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association jointly announced a series of adjustments to the game that will take effect over the next two seasons, subject to ratification by the 30 clubs and contingent on civilization surviving until 2020. The new measures span several aspects of the sport, from roster size and makeup to pitcher usage to time and pace of game. Taken together—and weighed alongside the more daring experiments MLB is orchestrating in the independent Atlantic League in 2019—the announced alterations represent a real thaw in the change-averse mind-set of a sport that’s been slow to respond to the consequences for spectators of its teams’ tactical innovations. None of these individual initiatives will dramatically reshape baseball, but the full suite of tweaks may collectively curb some of baseball’s least entertaining trends while laying the groundwork for ongoing discussions and more meaningful change. MLB, MLBPA ANNOUNCE ON-FIELD AGREEMENT Series of Changes Will Go Into Effect Over Next Two Seasonshttps://t.co/Cm9ZupDlNJ pic.twitter.com/Pyh0aE86nK — MLBPA Communications (@MLBPA_News) March 14, 2019 Perhaps the most momentous of the in-game, on-field changes is the planned implementation in 2020 of a three-batter minimum for non-inning-ending pitcher appearances. In other words, managers will no longer be able to summon a pitcher from the pen and then pull him after one or two plate appearances while the inning is still in progress. This rule revision should put an end to one of baseball’s most boring sequences: the late-inning parade of relievers who enter to take on a righty or lefty and depart immediately after retiring (or failing to retire) their target, subjecting the audience to another managerial mound visit, another commercial break, and another allotment of warm-up pitches. The Ringer’s 2019 MLB Preview Check out all of The Ringer’s MLB coverage leading up to Opening Day Maybe because this condition jeopardizes the jobs of some situational arms, the Players Association didn’t approve of the three-batter minimum. Rather, it agreed not to “grieve or otherwise challenge” the rule, which MLB has the power to implement unilaterally after giving the union warning one year in advance. MLB has been hesitant to exercise that authority for fear of further inflaming relations between the two sides, but by signaling that it would grudgingly live with the change, the PA made it feasible for the league to take the plunge. Although MLB has been willing to make changes related to replay and promoting player safety (via the seven-day injured list for concussions and prohibitions on dangerous slides at second base and collisions at the plate), the three-batter minimum is a relatively intrusive tactical change by the league’s laissez-faire standards. That doesn’t mean it will actually alter the game on a fundamental level. For one thing, pitchers are already required to face at least one batter before being removed, so the new regulation represents an extension of an existing condition, not an instance of unprecedented tampering with team sovereignty. Regardless of what Joe Maddon might say, baseball’s strategy was already constrained by its rules. What’s more, there just aren’t that many pitcher appearances that would actually be prohibited by the new minimum. Only a handful of starting-pitcher appearances per year—five in 2018, and no more than six in any season dating back to 1925—would have violated the minimum. Last year’s examples were all injury-related, and injured pitchers are exempt from the new rule (which could conceivably lead to an occasional lie about a phantom twinge). Relievers are the rule’s real target. The graph below, based on data provided by Dan Hirsch of Baseball-Reference, shows the percentage of all relief-pitcher appearances in previous seasons that would have run afoul of the forthcoming requirement, as well as the number of MLB games played per about-to-be-prohibited appearance: Only 4.7 percent of relief appearances during the 2018 regular season lasted fewer than three batters without ending an inning, and that includes any outings that might have ended prematurely due to injury. On average, the outings in question occurred once every 3.2 games or 6.4 team games—roughly 25 times per team all season, or approximately once a week. In addition, the blue line above shows that the extra-short pitcher appearance was already on its way out, as teams have grown more willing to push certain pitchers past a single frame. As a percentage of all relief appearances, last year’s rate of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it outings was actually the lowest since 1985. The new batter minimum will have an outsized effect in October, when managers play matchups more often and games regularly grind to a halt. That’s not a bad thing, because it can’t be good for the game to have its highest-profile matchups played in a way that engenders the least watchable brand of baseball. To the extent that the new rule discourages strategy, it’s almost exclusively the least interesting type of strategy that will suffer: push-button managing to preserve the platoon effect. (The exceptions, seemingly, are the Curly Ogden–Wade Miley gambit and the rare but treasured Waxahachie Swap, which may also face extinction depending on how the rule is worded.) Restricting the ability to bring in new arms will force managers to ration their relievers and think twice about pulling starters so soon, which may force pitchers to pace themselves—thereby combating the max-effort pitching approach that’s contributed to the strikeout-rate rise—and may also restore some of the lost pleasure of watching a struggling starter try to work out of trouble. When change comes in 2020, it won’t be as noticeable as it sounds. But even a subtle change would be welcome. Wiping away roughly 760 midinning pitching changes will also save some time, but the most important product of this reliever limitation may be the message it sends. By instituting even a modest measure to limit the profusion and power of pitchers, MLB is setting a modern precedent for lending hitters a helping hand. One minor adjustment probably won’t arrest the rising strikeout rate, which has climbed for 13 consecutive seasons, but it should shift the Overton window in a way that may allow for more active intervention in coming seasons—up to and including moving the mound (down or back), changing the size of the strike zone, or using Statcast to call balls and strikes, depending on how baseball’s bolder experiments proceed in the Atlantic League. I am for change, I am for experimentation; the game has never been static, even when it may have seemed so. The clubs pursue optimal strategies for winning the game, sometimes vexing or perplexing the fans, and it is for them that the MLB game exists. https://t.co/MnCXnPEtPD — John Thorn (@thorn_john) March 14, 2019 A few of the other announced changes are also intended to change the way pitchers are deployed. In 2020, the minimum length of a stint on the injured list for pitchers will increase from 10 to 15 days, as will the minimum amount of time a pitcher has to spend in the minors before being recalled from an optional assignment. Those two alterations are intended to address an easily overlooked but rampant and deleterious trend. As recent research by Baseball Prospectus writer Gerald Schifman has shown, teams have grown much more aggressive in optioning players—particularly pitchers—to the minors and repeatedly recalling them throughout the season. As Schifman wrote earlier this month, pitcher option and recall transactions more than doubled between 2009 and 2018. That ceaseless shuffling at the back of the staff makes it more difficult for fans to keep track of who’s on the team; as I found last October, the number of pitchers used per season has risen leaguewide by more than 43 percent. The resulting constant supply of fresh arms also likely contributes to sky-high strikeout rates, as hitters have to face hurlers whom they haven’t seen and who haven’t been worn down by constant high-pressure work. And as Schifman noted in a follow-up piece, cycling players with minor league options between Triple-A and the majors allows teams to devote a greater proportion of playing time to players who are making the minimum salary.<doc-sep>The only truth of the world is that everything you love will change. For better or worse, change is coming, and for baseball, those changes are coming this season, with more tweaks anticipated for the 2020 season as well. The new moves, some minor, some more contentious, are not totally re-writing baseball as we know it (the shift is safe for now, the NL still doesn’t have a DH... yet), but they do demonstrate an ongoing interest in creating a more modern and, shall we say... efficient version of the game we know and love. Much like the removal of needing four pitches for an intentional walk, a lot of these changes are small tweaks that seem to function only to speed up pace of play slightly and to annoy the old guard who like to see baseball played the way it has always been played (hello, bring back my pitches, thank you). Under the new agreement between MLB and the MLBPA, the changes we can expect to see implemented include the following: 2019 Season Effective immediately, the August 31st trade deadline (you know, the one that saw Justin Verlander sent to Houston at the literal last minute?) will be no more. Now the only trade deadline is the July 31st deadline, meaning teams really need to know if they’re planning to make a push to contend by the mid-season mark. sent to Houston at the literal last minute?) will be no more. Now the only trade deadline is the July 31st deadline, meaning teams really need to know if they’re planning to make a push to contend by the mid-season mark. Mound visits will be reduced to five per game, and might go down to four by 2020. Rather than selecting All-Stars based solely on the fan vote, the highest vote-getters will now participate in a single All-Star election day vote where fans will select based on the three top vote recipients in each category to select a winner. The Home Run Derby during the All-Star week will now have a $1 million prize, likely in the hopes of having more of the big-name stars participate in the event. Commercial breaks will now be only two minutes rather than two minutes and twenty seconds. There seems to be a move towards more in-game split screen ads in order to minimize the time away from showing the game. Position players will not be allowed to pitch unless: 1) the game goes into extra innings, or 2) the team is ahead or behind by at least eight runs. (I might hate this one most of all). 2020 Season No more LOOGY — That’s right, the one-batter pitcher is no more. Starting in the 2020 season, all pitchers will be required to face a minimum of three batters. Teams will now have a 26-man roster for the first five months of the season, and a 28-man roster in September. In addition to these changes, there is a promise that the Commissioner’s office will work alongside the MLBPA to study the current free-agent market and how it can be made more active, as well as figuring out how to minimize the rewards for teams who tank intentionally. There will also be a focus on how teams are gaming service time for top prospects. Overall there certainly seems to be a willingness between MLB and the MLBPA to work on the game while also making sure that things become more fair for the players in the union. Whether or not any of the changes do anything to speed up the pace of play or engage new viewers in the sport remains to be seen.<doc-sep>A single July 31 trade deadline plus an All-Star Game Election Day will be implemented in 2019 while roster expansion will happen in 2020 as part of a significant agreement between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association, MLB confirmed in a statement about multiple rule changes Thursday. ESPN's Jeff Passan first reported the changes Wednesday night. MLB and the MLBPA have spent this past winter negotiating over rule changes while labor relations grew tense after a second consecutive slow free agent market. Here are the changes that will go into effect for the 2019 season: Inning Breaks: Subject to discussions with broadcast partners, inning breaks will be reduced from 2:05 to 2:00 in local games, and from 2:25 to 2:00 in national games. (The Office of the Commissioner retains the right to reduce the inning breaks to 1:55 in local and national games for the 2020 season.) Mound Visits: The maximum number of mound visits per team will be reduced from six to five. Trade Deadline: The trade deadline will remain July 31st; however, trade waivers will be eliminated. Players may be placed and claimed on outright waivers after July 31st, but players may not be traded after that date. Joint Committee: MLB and the MLBPA will form a joint committee to study other potential changes. MLB and the MLBPA will form a joint committee to study other potential changes. All-Star Game: All-Star Game fan voting will be conducted in two rounds. During the "Primary Round," each Club will nominate one player per eligible position (three outfielders), who will be voted on by fans. In late June or early July, an "Election Day" will be held in which the top three vote-getters at each position in each League during the Primary Round (including the top nine outfielders) will be voted on by fans during a prescribed time period to determine the All-Star Game starters. Further details on the new fan voting format will be announced in April. All-Star bonus payments will be given to the top three vote-getters at each position in each League during the Primary Round (top six for outfielders). Additionally, the prize money awarded to players on the winning All-Star team will be increased beginning with the 2019 All-Star Game. Both Clubs will start the 10th inning of the All-Star Game, and each subsequent inning, with a runner on second base (re-entry substitutions allowed for runners). Home Run Derby: Total player prize money for the Home Run Derby will be increased to $2.5 million. The winner of the Home Run Derby will receive $1 million. The single July 31 trade deadline means there will likely be a lot more action. The MLBPA is hopeful that the single deadline will also incentivize teams to be more aggressive in the offseason knowing that trades in August are no longer an option. The All-Star Game Election Day will be a chance for MLB to market its players. Fans will vote online for All-Star starters, and the top three vote-getters will take part in a one-day election. (More details on the two-step voting process here.) Here are the changes for 2020: Active Roster Provisions: The active roster limit from Opening Day through August 31st and in Postseason games will increase from 25 to 26, and the minimum number of active players will increase from 24 to 25. The current Major League Rules allowing for a 26th player for doubleheaders will be amended to allow for a 27th player. Elimination of 40-man active roster limit in September. From September 1st through the end of the championship season, all Clubs must carry 28 players on the active roster. The number of pitchers a Club may carry on the active roster will be capped at a number determined by the joint committee. Clubs must designate each of its players as either a pitcher or a position player prior to each player's first day on the active roster for a given season. That designation will remain in effect for the player, and cannot change, for the remainder of the championship season and Postseason. No player on the active roster other than those designated as pitchers by the Club may appear in a championship season or Postseason game as a pitcher except in the following scenarios: Players designated as a "Two-Way Player." A player qualifies as a "Two-Way Player" only if he accrues at least 20 Major League innings pitched and at least 20 Major League games started as a position player or designated hitter (with at least three plate appearances in each of those games) in either the current championship season or the prior championship season; Following the ninth inning of an extra-inning game; or In any game in which his team is losing or winning by more than six runs when the player enters as a pitcher. Minimum Number of Batters for Pitchers: The Office of the Commissioner will implement an amended Official Baseball Rule 5.10(g) requiring that starting pitchers and relief pitchers must pitch to either a minimum of three batters or the end of a half-inning (with exceptions for incapacitating injury or illness). The Players Association has agreed that it will not grieve or otherwise challenge the Office of the Commissioner's implementation of the amended Rule 5.10(g). Injured List and Option Period for Pitchers: Subject to input from the joint committee, the minimum placement period for pitchers on the Injured List shall increase from 10 days to 15 days, and the minimum assignment period of pitchers who are optionally assigned to the minors will increase from 10 days to 15 days. Passan added in his report that MLB and the MLBPA will begin discussing labor issues soon that will focus on "the game's most fundamental economic tenets." MLB's current collective bargaining agreement with the MLBPA expires on Dec. 1, 2021.<doc-sep>
PHOENIX -- One-out relievers will soon be obsolete in Major League Baseball. Multiple trade deadlines, with no trade permitted after July 31, also about to be gone by the wayside. A pitch clock? Soon expired. And no longer will teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies be playing with a 40-man roster in September, while the Miami Marlins are playing with only 25 players. MLB and the union announced Thursday several major rule changes, most which will be implemented in 2020. -- Pitchers will be required to face a minimum of three batters in a game beginning in 2020. -- There will be a single July 31 trade deadline, starting this season, with teams prohibited from making any type of trade after that date. -- Mound visits will be reduced from six to five during games beginning this year, and perhaps reduced to four visits in 2020. -- There will be an All-Star election day starting this summer where fans can determine the starting players in the All-Star Game with 24-hour voting. -- The Home Run Derby will now pay $1 million to the winning player. -- Commercial breaks during innings will be shortened by 20 seconds to 2 minutes. -- Position players will be prohibited from pitching in games that don’t go into extra innings, unless a team is ahead or behind by at least eight runs. -- Committees will be appointed by the Commissioner’s office and the union to formally discuss the game’s economic concerns. They will study ways to make the free-agent market more active. They will discuss eliminating the incentive for teams from purposely losing to gain top draft picks. They will explore efforts to prevent teams from manipulating service time that delays their top prospects from being called up to the major leagues. -- The minimum time a player spends on the injured list will be increased back to 15 days from 10. -- And finally, beginning in 2020, all teams will have a 28-man roster in the final month of September, after having a 26-man roster the first five months of the season. NIGHTENGALE: MLB to finally fix baseball's worst problem NEW RULES: The good, bad and got-to-go Fans and players will still vote in the traditional way for the All-Star team until July, but the top three finishers in each position will be on a one-day election ballot where the fans will determine the starting players. The $1 million prize for the home-run derby is designed to get baseball’s best stars to participate, with a total pool of $2.5 million. The three-batter minimum will be the most profound on-field change, a maneuver that will be Manfred’s to own. It will have ripples from the clubhouse, to the manager’s chair and even to front offices in how they construct their rosters. Players aren’t expected to oppose the change if Manfred decides to implement it. There’s far from uniform approval of the rule, but also an understanding that a less deliberate game may be a more appealing one. “We want to improve the game and we want to make it more appealing to the younger crowd,” Reds lefty reliever Zach Duke told USA TODAY Sports this month. “The attention span of the younger crowd is a lot different than it was even 10 years ago. I understand some of the proposals and the intention behind it. “The three-batter minimum impacts so much more of what a manager can do, the strategy he’s able to employ. I don’t know if that’s necessarily the answer. But if there’s a rule proposal that makes sense, I don’t think there would be a lot of resistance to it. Let’s be honest: It’s really all about keeping the fans engaged and keeping them coming to the games. We want to put the best product out there to keep the fans there. “It’s an entertainment industry, right? If no one’s being entertained by it, then guess what – we don’t have jobs.” Perhaps the most glorious aspect of the changes is that MLB and the union are willing to talk about the bigger issues facing the game, and possibly make amendments to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, averting a potential work stoppage after the 2021 season. It will be the first time the two sides have ever had mid-term bargaining on such broad economic issues. Contributing: Gabe Lacques Follow Nightengale on Twitter: @BNightengale