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The long-anticipated Major League Baseball lockout is starting, and there’s speculation about its length and what happens after it ends.
There’s no real incentive for this lockout to end quickly. Games aren’t being played, players aren’t being paid, so the players and owners aren’t losing money.
The Winter Meetings, scheduled for next week in Orlando, Florida, won’t be held, and the Rule 5 draft, which traditionally ends the meetings, will be postponed until the lockout is over.
During the lockout, major league players are barred from working out at team facilities, and there isn’t supposed to be any contact between the clubs and players.
General managers, managers and coaches aren’t supposed to discuss players on the 40-man roster. MLB.com and MLB Network aren’t allowed to use images and likenesses of the players during the lockout.
Owners can sell tickets, but they can’t use players on the 40-man roster to promote their games. The Orioles could theoretically use Adley Rutschman and Grayson Rodriguez to sell tickets because they’re not on the 40-man roster, but they can’t use their second-best pitching prospect, DL Hall, who was put on the roster late last month.
There’s a freeze on major league transactions, putting a stop to signings and trades. Teams can discuss and even agree upon trades to be announced post-lockout, but they can’t be completed. Signing players to minor league contracts is allowed.
Fans who have followed the recent contracts being awarded to free agents might wonder why players are unhappy. The Players Association loves those big contracts for superstars, but they’ve been concerned that good veteran players who aren’t superstars haven’t been getting fair offers.
The game has been getting younger, and younger players are cheaper. The Players Association wants younger players to be paid earlier in their careers.
Earlier in the negotiations, the owners proposed that players be allowed to declare for free agency at age 29 ½, a proposal that might help players who went to college or had longer than expected minor league apprenticeships reach free agency earlier.
Currently, six years of service time is required, but for younger players who were drafted out of high school or signed internationally, a 29 ½-year threshold for free agency could tie them to their teams for eight years or more instead of six.
The players would like the six-year minimum lowered, and the three-year path to arbitration.
They also want an end to service-time manipulation, where clubs keep players in the minors longer than necessary to avoid arbitration.
The so-called “tanking” issue has been negotiated, and there seems to be some progress. Take the Orioles, who are set to pick in the top five in the next draft for the fourth straight year. A draft lottery has been proposed by the owners, and that could be turned into a television event, just like in the NBA.
The players hope that minimum payrolls with a large increase in the competitive-balance-tax would encourage teams to spend more.
Some things will proceed. The January 15th international signing period should not be affected. Teams can announce starting times for Grapefruit League, Cactus League and regular-season games. Two teams, the New York Mets and Oakland Athletics, can hire new managers and coaching staffs.
The next Collective Bargaining Agreement will bring changes on the field, too.
The designated hitter will likely come to the National League, and there might be a pitch clock and rules designed to thwart the prominence of the infield shift.
Expanded playoffs will arrive. The owners have proposed 14-team postseasons, up from the current 10, with a round of two-of-three wild-card games added.
How long might a lockout last? The best guess is about two months because that wouldn’t interfere with spring training. Oriole pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to Sarasota, Florida on February 15th.
If there’s a settlement by February 1st, then the Rule 5 draft, free-agent signings and trades can be completed by the start of spring training.
For the moment, players and owners might be talked out and probably will take a break from negotiations because little can be accomplished. With the holidays approaching, it would be surprising if there was a resolution this month.
While there were a number of significant signings, many big-name players haven’t signed and most second- and third-tier players, who the union says have been disadvantaged, have yet to find baseball homes for 2022.
Fans might not care if there’s a stoppage that doesn’t interfere with the schedule for next season. For now, they’re busy watching football and preparing for the holidays.
As an optimist, I had hoped we wouldn’t get here as most everyone else predicted we would. The differences are great, but the animosity doesn’t seem close to what it was during the last work stoppage in 1994 and 1995.
Let’s hope this doesn’t turn into an authentic work stoppage and that two months from now we’re focusing on the 2022 Orioles season, not worrying about when it might begin.
Report: Orioles reach agreement with Lyles: According to a report in The Athletic, the Orioles reached an agreement with right-handed pitcher Jordan Lyles on a one-year, $7 million contract, pending a physical, which will take place after the lockout.
The 31-year-old Lyles is 54-79 with a 5.21 ERA in 11 major league seasons with Houston, Colorado, San Diego, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Texas.
In 2021, Lyles was 10-13 with a 5.15 ERA in 32 games for the Rangers. He threw a career-high 180 innings. He’s 0-3 with a 4.26 ERA in three career starts in Baltimore.
The reported $7 million contract is the largest one the Orioles have given to a free agent during executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias’ three-year tenure.
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Thanks for the great rundown on potential changes and the positions of both sides Rich! I agree this stoppage feels different - almost a formality instead of a real stoppage. And there appears to be grounds for negotiation on both sides so there’s hope this won’t last long.
I can’t imagine a long stoppage during the Covid era when MLB likes to think they bring people together. The disparity between what players earn and what the average Joe makes keeps getting wider, and I don’t buy into the poor me story that the young good players are only earning half a million or a few million each year instead of the multiple millions earned by the superstars.
The average salary has actually gone down in the last five years because the game has gotten younger, and that's what they're concerned about. The average worker will never be sympathetic to big wage earners nor the owners.
I don’t understand, what is the hold up? What are the disagreeing factors? The players are compensated very well and the owners are generating lots of revenue. It’s a win-win to just sign the lines and get the season started.
The only loser in this game is the fans. First COVID-19 robbed fans of being at the ballparks and politics ruined what would have been an even greater year for the Atlanta Braves. Now we have a lockout.
This isn’t good for anyone at this point. Sign it and move on and move forward.
Elias slipped in one more terrible move before the deadline. Seven million for a pitcher with eight seasons of an ERA north of five.
Going rate, Heaney got 8.5 million from the Dodgers, and he's much worse!
At least both sides really tried to come to terms yesterday before the CBA expired. Gotta give them a lot of credit and sitting down to meet with each other for a whopping 7 minutes before calling it a day.
Did we really expect both side to cave (agree)?
There’s no theatre in that approach. Gotta hold out, build the drama etc.
it’s so ridiculous.
Lyles could end up being decent. Seven million seems a bit steep for an innings eater and so does the 11 million dollar option. But I guess at this point beggars can’t be choosers. And for only seven million more could’ve had Jon Gray and for about five more could’ve had Anthony Desclafani. I guess it’s a start and shows a bit of commitment but does it really make us that much better. As for the lockout seems like the PA has some good proposals. I don’t see the owners going for lowering the luxury tax only because teams have already budgeted for it to be what it’s at.
Not an "innings eater". Only one time has he exceeded 150 innings in a season. That phrase is already running rampant with the Orioles media in an effort to gloss over another baffling move. From 2015 to 2018, Lyles never reached 90 innings. He DID lead MLB in giving up the most earned runs the last two seasons.
Gray signed for 4 years DeScalafini for 3. Orioles aren’t giving out long term contracts at this time
Maybe Elias should’ve waited until after the lockout to sign a guy that’s going to help us get the #1 pick. Because of Elias, mlb might turn the draft into a lottery now. Honestly I hope they do because I’m tired of a constant rebuild. 17 of the last 22 years. Enough is enough
So it has come to this.
Words matter, actions matter even more.
The Game will be severely damaged even further if this drags into Spring Training and the regular season.
Seems to me that the Owners and Players aren't interested in installing any changes to improve the game for the fan.
Baseball has LOST a whole generation of fans here in Baltimore. Lacrosse has taken over, which is like...are you kidding me? Maybe this is on the Angelos Family, but imposing the Nationals into the middle of their Market was not the fault of the Angelos Family.
The games start too late, there aren't enough day games, the WS has no day games. The Post Season goes on way too long long, etc.
One of the biggest ironies here is that there has never been more terrifically talented players in the game's history as now. Baseball should be celebrating itself as the true national pastime. What a total disaster...
Greed and Ego destroy most things in its path. So here we are... Manfred--you suck--you really really do.
Mike, if you live on the West Coast, there are day games in the World Series, and I don't think ratings are appreciably higher among young people.
There are actually many more day games now than there were five years ago. The Players' Association negotiated travel rules mandating many more day games on getaway days, and I don't see where that's improved attendance. Baseball has lost generations of fans, not just here. Even among teams with better recent records, attendance has fallen.
The length of the games, particularly in the postseason is way too long. Lacrosse, which is a niche sport, even in Baltimore, doesn't have much of a following. It's a school sport, and it's hardly "taken over." Do people make a living as professional lacrosse players?
We'll have many months to debate what's wrong with the game, and your first point about the players and owners failing to agree on fan-friendly changes is an important one. You are correct about the talent of the players.
I think this will not affect the start of the season, at least I hope not, because the sport can't afford a stoppage. This seems like a chess match which has the potential to get uglier.
Rich,
-the lack of day games on the East Coast in the Playoffs, esp. WS is a big problem. We've discussed this before, and we both know it is about money...
- game duration is ridiculous. Umpires never enforce the pitch clock, too many mound visits, too many pitching changes, too much lolligaging in general.
- I am here to tell you that Lacrosse has absolutely taken over in the mid-Atlantic over baseball. Not even close. I am shocked at this since baseball is such a perfect game and lacrosse is a Club Sport at most..I get in trouble w my Baltimore friends all the time because of my criticism of that ridiculous game.
Agree w you that if there is no disruption in the normal flow of the game i.e. Spring Training starts in late February and the season starts in early April we will get past this for now.
BUT, the game's health and well-being is in serious danger. Parity, Economics, Fan-Friendliness, affordable access and overall "product presentation" are all leading to putting the game in danger of losing its relevancy.
All the best you Sir, and thank you once again for your excellent place in the World Wide Web for us fans of the Orioles.
Totally agree about Manfred, he should step down in disgrace. Agree too that nothing happens in December. Hopefully they can get it done in January. Interference with ST or the season would be another disaster for baseball. Hopefully if they institute a lottery system that would not affect the Os number one pick this draft…. DH to the NL is long overdue in my opinion. Is there a less exciting moment in sports than when a pitcher comes up to bat and strikes out in three pitches? Don’t mind the Lyles signing, just another placeholder till they’re ready to compete.
Screw the work stoppage news. We all knew that was coming..
The O's signed a real player? You say he's a pitcher?
Don't know spit about Lyles ... don't know what his history is ... don't know his numbers at this point .. but as they say in the great commonwealth of Massachuestts .... "I don't give-a-care"! I'm just thrilled that this franchise threw more than a roll of quahtahs (more Massachusett-ese) at a major league player!
Can't wait for this work-stoppage to end to watch Mr.Elias spend many, many more $$ on the big club!
Lyles' stats do seem underwhelming for a $7 million price tag, but a team that has lost well over 100 games each of the last three full seasons is going to have to pay a premium to attract a FA ... the encouraging news is that, for the first time since 2018, the Orioles have actually made a substantial investment to acquire a new player.
Thanks for the rundown, Rich. Question: How do the teams negotiate trades without communicating with the players? Can they deal with agents as middlemen?
Teams can talk among themselves. They don’t involve agents in trade talks unless there’s a no-trade clause.
Manfred is going to "Doo wah diddy, diddy dum ditty do" the whole thing!
The league is in a shambles!!!
SUPER SHAMBLES…go O’s…
It’s bird, it’s a plane, it’s SUPER SHAMBLES!……
Didn't Chris Shambles play 1st Base for the Yankees in the 70's?
Very underrated player.
LOL…go O’s…
Seeing what Elias is paying the uninspiring Lyles makes me nostalgic for his waiver wire approach to player acquisition. I thought the strategy was to hold off on pricey free agents until the team became competitive.
Not sure Lyles qualifies as a pricey FA, at some point he needs to start trying to win today, that’ll be with pricey FA’s…this seems more to placate a fan base than really trying to find a piece to the puzzle…have no clue when that may start….soon I hope, but not holding my breath…go O’s…
I have a feeling that if Elias got another waiver wire wonder pitcher, he would have taken heat. I have a feeling that if Elias signed a decent pitcher at a currently competitive (read exorbitant) price, he would have taken heat.
And for some strange reason, I bet if he signed Scherzer there would have been some reason why it was the wrong move.
Welcome to management.
Anyway, here’s hoping Lyles can pitch competitively for us.
Assuming this isn't ownership giving Elias marching orders to throw the fans a bone ... and to be quick about it before the labor break ... I couldn't care less who he gave 7 million to. I honestly hope that this is truly his call. If so, it's the first sign we've had in 4 years that the guy may be ready to get down to business. If Lyles turns out to be a waste of $$$$$$, who cares? All GMs are going to miss on some of their calls, we live with those. Now let's wait to see how he follows this up when they get back to business.
Drink Pepsi boys ... don't forget.
Start spending some of that tobacco, asbestos and horse breeding largess, already.
Lyles to me is just ownership and management window dressing so they can argue they are spending money to try to win. If they want to win now they should have spent 12-13M for a quality starter. If not, I think it would be more productive to give those innings to Kremer, Wells etc and see if any of them have the stuff to stick long term, rather than to a pitcher who was proven over a long period of time to be the Wilkerson of pitchers
Lyles and Odor are the latest in a long line of Texas Rangers castaways that the Orioles pick up. Anyone remember Chris Davis, Julio Borbon, Endy Chavez, Craig Gentry, and Taylor Teagarden?
To be fair there have been some good pickups that were former Rangers - Nelson Cruz, Rafael Palmero, Darren O’Day and even Buck Showalter.
The O’s have been called the Rangers of the AL East which isn’t really a compliment.
Gentry, another one of Buck's former lawn boys!
it just a shame that the two sides couldn't figure it out and do whats best for the game. Kind of like the Dems and Republicans can never do the right thing and sit down and compromise.