Now Warming Up…MLB!

Let's start with the Opener.

***MLB’s Winter Meetings pick up on Monday in Dallas with everyone expecting to hear from Juan Soto and where he will bring his talents for 2025 (and for perhaps as long as 15 years!).  After Soto, the domino game will ensue as those who made a pitch for Juan will presumably be flush with unused free-agent dollars.  Willy Adames, Pete Alonso, and others will wait until the market gets reset and their market heats up.  I imagine that this waiting period is excruciating for these free agents who will hope to have signed a contract earlier than some of the star free-agents of 2023.  What do you think?

Now to the Set Up Man.

*** The market for MLB pitching is being set by Frankie Montas and Luis Severino who have signed with the NY Mets and Oakland (Las Vegas) A’s, respectively.  Severino had a solid, bounce-back year with the Mets before signing for $67 million over the next three seasons.  It seems that serviceable MLB starters are going to be well paid, and the top-tier aces can probably bank on six or more years for around $35-$40 million per.  Corbin Burnes and Max Fried should send a holiday basket to both Severino and Montas!

Now the Closer.

***New rule ideas are getting a little crazy in MLB.  The pitch clock and the larger bases were one thing, but the “Golden At-Bat” rule idea has traditionalists’ heads spinning.  Teams could, if this rule is implemented, be able to send ANY hitter on their team to bat at any point of the game and could do so once per game.  For example, the Dodgers could find themselves with bases loaded and their number nine hitter coming to the plate.  Instead, they could use their “golden ticket” and send Ohtani to hit, regardless of where he is in their actual lineup.  There are variations of this idea, but this one seems like a real stretch.  I understand that the game, and the rules, will continue to evolve, but can’t imagine this one happening.  This may be nothing more than MLB throwing ideas out to see what the reaction may be, and this one stinks. If it became a rule, which hitter for your team would you want taking these golden-ticket-at-bats?

"I try not to break the rules, but merely to test their elasticity." – former MLB owner, Bill Veeck, Jr.