vegasbob

Still expecting (deeply sourced) a mid March agreement (16th/17th) with a mid April start of an unbalanced schedule season of 146 games.

He's on the other line asking for4 details now

A blind call so incredibly bad that I will suffer through endless replays to avoid that type BS umpiring

Run an A team and a B team for each franchise with their combined records over a 120 game season determining entries into a drawing to see which A's should play which B's in a 7 inning winner takes all. After 1 round , the team's with the newest domed stadiums could play until just before Christmas with a winner's parade on New Year's day.

Earliest possible date is April 1 , an appropriate date for all the April Fools still thinking it will get settled. I still am expecting a handshake on March 16 followed by a 30 day , Ready, Set, Go for an April 16 opening.

While this unproductive tactic may have been used in some instaqnces , it is a sure sign that the party is not interested in a resolution of the negotiation but in getting their name/face in the Media. The other side would normally then walk away from the table and wait for the other to get realistic . Some labor-management/ownership disputes go on for a long time. The MLB-MLBPA headbutting after over 20 years of "peace" is senseless in terms of alienating fan bases (who will overlook it , once play resumes) but these issues discussed in this forum could have been settled one piece at a time, a year or a decade ago. A pox on both of them for not acting accordingly .

Time keeps on slipping but still 33 days until the great handshake comes down, just in time to miss about 2 weeks of scheduled play. With the great legal research displayed in this thread, no doubt, Manfred and Clark will get a call from the 202 area code about March 18, advising the two sides to get their s*** together and play ball so as to not further piss off the voting public in an election year

44 more days to my predicted March 18th "Done Deal " day , leading to an April 15th Opening Day, missing about 2 weeks of games. Maybe as important as the deal points is the term of the new CBA . While it has been awhile with no stoppage , the fanbase truly hates this disruption of the typical off season much less on season cycle of activity. Just a question--Is there a Brian Flores equivalent in MLB just waiting in the wings ?

54 more days until the "settlement". Jeez, this is a slow boring countdown. Really looking forward to studying the MLBPA proposal to see where the focus really is.

57 days to go until settlement of the "issues". MLBPA to present their offers . That will at least define the gap between owners and players union. Then they can begin negotiating. Having been to Fenway, Tropicana and Marlins stadium, I can say that one's historical, one's hysterical and one is across the freeway from an airport. Actually Tropicana does have good sight lines, and some interesting baseball museum type displays . Plus you can spread out, change seats etc since there are not a lot of folks around you.

Just for fun, I'm starting a 60 day countdown to the 3 hours that will get a deal done . March 18 will be the day all owners and players will kiss and make up. Actual games that count will begin April 15 , just in time for everyone to get their taxes done first. and hide their Easter eggs around the outfield for the 16th. There is no incentive for either side to get in gear before then. So it is 60 and counting.

Here's some numbers that were interesting, given that there will be the usual uniformed comments by the unwashed masses of fans complaining about the arrogant , millionaire ballplayers : 1. Average salary peaked in 2017 at about $4.1 million, but declined to $3.7 million in 2021. Even this is deceptive about "millionaire" ballplayers because: 2. 1397 of a total of 1955 players who were under a MLB contract during 2021 at any point, earned less than $1 million, and 1,271 of those were under $600,000. Despite the MLB minimum, 332 individuals earned less than $100K due to limited time at MLB level, bouncing back and forth from MiLB to the Show. 3. 112 players earned above $10 million and 40 of those exceeded $20 million, including signing bonuses. So you can say that about 5% of MLB players have reached the big time , but the large majority are not exorbitantly ahead of the game . Doing very well for kids in their 20's but it lasts only a limited period in a 75 year lifetime.

Gents , here's my prediction based on some experience with labor contract negotiations , and the first stage of commentary from both parties. You will be free to pursue other activities at the end of next March. There will not be a settlement of the issues without an Opening Day delay, or even cancelled games . I will go out on the limb to say the season starts on April 1, showing both sides to be the fools . The populace is restless for many reasons well known and will cast a pox on both houses. Tolerance for a protracted shutdown , which will happen, will run out quickly causing the MLBPA and the Owners to split the baby realizing their diminishing fan base is angry. The signing of free agents and arb cases , along with finalized trades and a hurried late Spring Training will be a mess realized about March 15. Hope I'm wrong and will look for this note when the dust settles.

The business of both who to sign and for how much is definitely two edged . The Sox made it to the ALCS in 2021 with a hodge podge of pitching, missing Sale for the majority of the year , but getting a full (non-injury) season out of Eovaldi. Found a gem in Whitlock cheap, potential in Houck, and a wasted $10M in Richards. So why go long for the big money names on 3-5 year deals ? T o compete in 2022 at a high competitive level , fans expect at least one upper level market signing , now more essential since Erod went to Detroit . Not to mention the bullpen issues. I get Moon's observation that Bloom (& Henry et al) may be still laying in a transition year looking to 2023/24 with the " new" Red Sox. Alternatively, why not play 162 games in '22 with a mind to win it all ? At my age , it's hard to see too far over the horizon. Not expecting any real action until late February/early March, when one side or the other gives in ( or both) on the new deal, whatever it turns out to be. Will those with patience get rewarded ??

This, to me, is the real off season story. The MLBPA and Owners are far apart and history shows that they both use brinkmanship as a tactic, letting the paying customers twist in the wind. It will delay FA signings until February , although trades could move more timely. A lockout going into ST is a real possibility. It will make for a delayed and miserable off season since nothing will seem to get done for the n3ext 4 months.

With the need for 7-8 traditional "starters" to cover a 162 game season , and shortage of effective pitchers who can go 6-7 innings, the transition to pitching staffs with 2-3 inning guys (Houck; Whitlock ?) and bullpen games using a planned 5-6 pitchers is already well under way. The analytic stats about the 3rd time through a lineup, along with the requirement to be hard throwing 94-98mph throwers, and prevalence of TJ surgery dictates a change in how to manage pitching. You won't see playoff intense pitching decisions but you will see a departure from old school Ace--#5 staffs.

The Astros 24 year old (Alvarez) wins the ALCS MVP. Hope our to be 25 year old does so next year, if he gets a little more .....

Here's something to think out over the offseason. Why do the Rays , Astros, Dodgers et alia compete over 5-8 year periods at the top level of their leagues and the Red Sox either win it all (4 times, thank you) or finish in the dumps , up and down, up and down, sort of like the inconsistent play between the fist and second halves of 2021, then the playoffs??? Why the variances?

Let Bloom do his off season work. He has at least 10 spots on the 40 man and 5 on the 26 man roster to upgrade. Not necessarily studs, just better, more consistent players with some experience.

I'm glad you pointed out how most of these players don't need rings or bonuses. No one will be crying on the flight home. How do you make a millionaire feel bad, introduce him to a billionaire.

Nobody told Devers he could not hit a 6 run HR. Shame because he swung like he could

Glad it didn't go 7 , and glad Matt Barnes wasn't the dog in this postseason, so I can cheer him on next year

A fitting finish that would be, only to be outdone by an 8 run rally to win it

Did Buck say 27 runs with 2 outs in this series? A common problem all through the year with Sox pitchers . 2 outs, 2 strikes here they come.

Great point. The 3 grand slams disguised a lot of poor hitting in the last 3. And with that the BP (Otto) gives up the 3 run jack that seals it.