Proposed MLB rule changes

[JosephC]

I think it's a big enough deal to have it's own thread. I have to admit that I dislike every single proposed change that is listed below.

 

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25935056/mlb-players-discussing-rule-changes-alter-game

 

Dueling proposals from MLB on Jan. 14 and the union on Friday covered a wide range of topics, according to sources. Among them include:

 

A three-batter minimum for pitchers

A universal designated hitter

A single trade deadline before the All-Star break

A 20-second pitch clock

The expansion of rosters to 26 men, with a 12-pitcher maximum

Draft advantages for winning teams and penalties for losing teams

A study to lower the mound

A rule that would allow two-sport amateurs to sign major league contracts

[clancyphile]

1. I'd make it three batters or the end of the inning, whichever comes first.

2. No problem with that.

3. I'd actually make it August 15 - between the July 31 and September 1 deadlines.

4. If a pitcher is trying to pick off a runner, the clock should restart.

5. OK with the roster expansion, not OK with the 12-pitcher maximum. That's targeting the Brewers and other teams.

6. Depends on the way it's implemented.

7. Might be okay with that.

8. Depends on how that is implemented.

 

I think they should also let teams trade amateur draft picks. Every other sport has that - and baseball should as well. Why not let a team trade down to get more picks to boost a farm system or trade picks to move up?

[tigerbrew]

1. Not in favor of the three-batter minimum for pitchers

2. Very much in favor of having a universal designated hitter

3. Ok with a single trade deadline before the All-Star break

4. Ok with a 20-second pitch clock

5. Very much in favor of expanding the roster to 26 men, with a 12-pitcher maximum

Neutral to 6, 7 and 8.

[3and2Fastball]

3 batter minimum takes away the aspect of platoon advantages, to a large degree, which is a strategical maneuver that I love.

 

I very much prefer the game without a DH but always felt it was inevitable that the NL would eventually make that change.

 

The only change proposal I've seen that I could get enthusiastic about is clancyphile's post about being able to trade draft picks.

[bill hAll Star]

Coors Field games with a DH will average no less than 4 hours of runtime.

[owbc]

General impression is excitement that they are considering major changes. They are overdue.

 

1. This would be fun when a guy comes in who 'doesn't have it' and has to somehow get through 3 batters. If a pitcher leaves early it would have to require an automatic 10-day DL stint. I think new managing strategies would eventually emerge from this rule. I agree with a suggestion (seen elsewhere) that it should be 3 outs OR the end of an inning.

2. In favor but not until 2020.

3. No strong opinion.

4. YES do it now.

5. Only if it is implemented along with rule #1.

6. In favor of some form of this but it may need to be pro-rated for market size. Sometimes small market teams try to win and fail (e.g. 7. 7. In favor--but outfield walls may need to get moved back if this is implemented.

8. No opinion

[JosephC]

Obviously they can't expect a pitcher to pitch with a legitimate injury. So what happens when Counsell really only wants to use a pitcher for one hitter? Does the pitcher suffer a mild hamstring strain after pitching to that first batter (when he's not actually hurt at all)? What are the ramifications if this happens? Ballclub gets fined if the pitcher only pitches to one hitter and then has to leave a game? If the pitcher exits after one hitter, will it be a mandatory trip to the DL so the team loses him for the next 10 days? There would have to be some sort of penalty, otherwise the rule will be abused by pretty much every team in the league. Why would MLB open a can of worms like this when is seems completely unnecessary?

[KeithStone53151]

What's the purpose of having 14 position players when one is a DH? That seems incredibly stupid. This would seriously hurt the value of guys like Perez that can play multiple positions. It's almost like they made a list of rule change proposals with the specific intent of negatively impacting the Brewers. The only one that really wouldn't hurt us is the 3 hitter minimum, because we tend to have guys go multi-inning more often than not and very rarely utilize a LOOGY. I also generally disagree with rules that prevent Maddon from singlehandedly destroying the Cubs bullpen by late-August.

[SomewhereInTime]

I think it's a big enough deal to have it's own thread. I have to admit that I dislike every single proposed change that is listed below.

 

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25935056/mlb-players-discussing-rule-changes-alter-game

 

Dueling proposals from MLB on Jan. 14 and the union on Friday covered a wide range of topics, according to sources. Among them include:

 

A three-batter minimum for pitchers

A universal designated hitter

A single trade deadline before the All-Star break

A 20-second pitch clock

The expansion of rosters to 26 men, with a 12-pitcher maximum

Draft advantages for winning teams and penalties for losing teams

A study to lower the mound

A rule that would allow two-sport amateurs to sign major league contracts

 

1. sure

2. sure

3. sure

4. great idea

5. That's gonna be a lot of bench sitting with a universal DH

6. kinda defeats the whole purpose of reverse draft order

7. maybe

8. sure

[Fear The Chorizo]

1 - No way...I'm guessing this is a proposed rule change to try and shorten game lengths - I'd argue this may actually make games longer. Relievers facing 1-2 batters happens maybe 2-3 times through the course of an entire game - imposing a 3 batter minimum would probably lead to more frequent intentional walks, or ABs where relievers pitch around a hitter with intent on walking him unless the hitter wants to get himself out by swinging at garbage. I'd assume this also only gets implemented if both leagues have a DH - otherwise there are pitchers spot in the order ?s, say for example a reliever is brought in to get out of an inning, but a double switch isn't possible and the pitchers' spot in the order is due up 2nd in their half of the inning - we'd get to see relievers hitting in late game situation so they can face the next 1-2 required batters the next time their team takes the field? How is the 9th inning handled? If there is 1 or 2 outs and a "closer" is struggling, a manager can't bring another reliever in to finish the game off because they wouldn't necessarily be able to face 3 hitters?

 

2 - I'm ok with getting the NL a DH - however I'd lean towards waiting to implement until the next CBA begins - that gives NL teams plenty of time to plan for that role on their rosters. Definitely not something to implement before this year starts, 2020 at earliest.

 

3 - I'd like to keep it as two separate trade deadlines, but move the non-waiver deadline to July 1 (closer to the true MLB season halfway point), then have the waiver deadline on July 31 or Aug 7. I think there'd be too many moving parts to have all trades happen by one deadline.

 

4 - I think there are so many instances where a pitch clock could be reset and not enough instances where imposing one would actually speed pace of play - I'm indifferent overall to it as long as we don't get managers/pitchers constantly motioning to umps to restart the clock like what NFL teams do with the play clock...seems like one more thing to quibble about that has nothing to do with actual baseball.

 

5 - If the NL adds a DH, then I'm ok with a 26-man MLB roster...however, no 12 pitcher maximum, and every game can only have 25 guys on the lineup card (meaning there would typically be the prior game's starter listed as the 26th guy able to remain on the MLB roster but ineligible to play that game...could be any player though depending on circumstances)

 

6 - Leave the draft alone

 

7 - Do a study, but then do nothing about lowering the mound

 

8 - Ok, I guess

[coolhandluke121]

I just threw up in my mouth a little. These ideas are terrible. Stop trying to appeal to the casual fans who still won't like baseball that much anyway, at the expense of the people who really love baseball to begin with. Just horrible.

 

This is the equivalent of a pitcher who doesn't follow through properly because he's trying to guide the ball to home plate. It's a disaster. Stop trying to control everything. Let offenses and defenses continue to adapt to each other organically. That's part of the fun.

 

The 3-batter minimum is just insulting. Teams that get cute with their bullpens have to make other allowances to compensate. Opposing teams will figure out ways to take advantage of that, including some strategies that nobody has even thought of yet. The anti-shifting stuff is also a joke. All this pro-offense stuff is baseball's equivalent of fake boobs. They can leak and cause serious health problems, and they only make you more appealing in the eyes of losers you don't want around in the long run anyway.

[cesser000]

Did I miss something? I thought they already had a pitch clock in place?

[owbc]

Did I miss something? I thought they already had a pitch clock in place?

 

They only have a clock between innings. This is similar to what is currently in place in the minor leagues.

[Roderick]

 

I think they should also let teams trade amateur draft picks. Every other sport has that - and baseball should as well. Why not let a team trade down to get more picks to boost a farm system or trade picks to move up?

 

I think this would help the small payroll teams, so I am for this... but....

 

I could see some owner trading away his whole draft to pick up 2-3 players for the current team. Or teams trading away everyone for draft picks. I'm not sure we want to go too far down that path without some type of restrictions. Maybe only trade one pick or every other year. Can only acquire at most two more players in any one draft, etc. Can only trade away the next years draft - no trading away picks two years from now. Etc. Just to see how it goes first.

 

You guys might be too young to remember Ted Stepien, owner Cleveland Cavaliers early eighties. The NBA had to enact a rule that you couldn't trade consecutive 1st round picks because he was constantly trading his first round draft picks for crap, so those draft picks he traded away were very good.

[Oxy]

These are all fine with me, except the DH, which should be tied to the starting pitcher.

 

I don't see how the "3 batter" rule could be abused when tied to a 10 day DL stint. That's a pretty significant penalty for trying to get around the rules. As others have brought up, it could create some odd strategic moves regarding IBBs or the "non-intentional intentional walk." That's fine with me, as I'd MUCH rather see a guy try to strike a guy out or risk walking him than watch the manager slowly walk to the mound...slowly raise his left hand after squinting at his pitcher on the mound who reluctantly hands him the ball and trots back to the dugout while the gates to the bullpen open and some guy trots in 300 feet before throwing a dozen practice pitches.

 

Finally, once the action starts again, the batter rolls over the first pitch with a ground out to second.

 

Then, we get to watch the the manager slowly walk to the mound...slowly raise his right hand after squinting at his pitcher on the mound who reluctantly hands him the ball and trots back to the dugout while the gates to the bullpen open and some guy trots in 300 feet before throwing a dozen practice pitches...

[dlk9s]

1. Dumb

2. Fine

3. Cool

4. Fine

5. What

6. Stupid as hell

7. No

8. Ok, don't care

[MillerParkSouth]

I wish the folks in charge of baseball (Manfred) actually liked the sport.

[adambr2]

I don't see any changes here that are really beneficial to the Brewers' organization and some of them are potentially quite harmful.

[trwi7]

I wish the folks in charge of baseball (Manfred) actually liked the sport.

 

100% this.

[JosephC]

A blog (sorry no link) indicates that Ken Rosenthal has reported the following:

 

MLB proposed:

-Pitchers must face at least three batters

-Mound visits reduced from 6 to 4 in 2019 and from 4 to 3 in 2020

-Rosters expand from 25 to 26 in 2020

-September rosters decrease from 40 to 28 in 2020

-DL goes back to 15 days

-Time optioned player must stay in minors goes back to 15 days

 

MLBPA proposed:

-Penalize draft position if teams don't win a certain number of games over a certain amount of seasons

-DH for National League

 

Manfred could just go ahead and implement:

-20 second pitch clock

-Reduce mound visits from 6 to 5

-SPRING TRAINING AND ALL-STAR GAME ONLY - running placed on second base to start inning if the score is tied after 10 innings

[PlayerHader]

I’ve been a fan of eliminating 1 and done relief pitchers for a while. Make it 2 hitters even. I don’t understand arguments against it. If you aren’t capable of getting MLB hitters (from both sides of the plate) out at a respectable clip, maybe you aren’t an MLB pitcher.

 

Nothing wrecks game flow more than a LOOGY coming in with one out in the 7th, throwing one or 2 pitches to a batter, and then the manager trotting out again for another delay after he gives up a hit or gets an out.

 

I do like the idea that 1 batter may be allowed if it’s the 3rd out.

[adambr2]

There's quite a few arguments against it. One is that it is going to wreck careers. It will be the death of the LOOGY.

 

Guys like Hader will obviously be fine, but guys like Xavier Cedeno and Alex Claudio who are murder vs LHP and can't retire righties will have a very difficult time finding work.

 

It's also going to hurt teams like the Brewers who really on innovation, matchups and strategy by dumbing down the game for the sake of game speed.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

There's quite a few arguments against it. One is that it is going to wreck careers. It will be the death of the LOOGY.

 

Guys like Hader will obviously be fine, but guys like Xavier Cedeno and Alex Claudio who are murder vs LHP and can't retire righties will have a very difficult time finding work.

 

It's also going to hurt teams like the Brewers who really on innovation, matchups and strategy by dumbing down the game for the sake of game speed.

 

I agree on Cedeno, but Claudio was sold as someone capable of going multiple innings and was decent against right-handed batters. Is that wrong?

[adambr2]

There's quite a few arguments against it. One is that it is going to wreck careers. It will be the death of the LOOGY.

 

Guys like Hader will obviously be fine, but guys like Xavier Cedeno and Alex Claudio who are murder vs LHP and can't retire righties will have a very difficult time finding work.

 

It's also going to hurt teams like the Brewers who really on innovation, matchups and strategy by dumbing down the game for the sake of game speed.

 

I agree on Cedeno, but Claudio was sold as someone capable of going multiple innings and was decent against right-handed batters. Is that wrong?

 

Well I would say yes it is. Claudio has been very bad vs. RHP. Righties had a whopping. 933 OPS against him in 2018 and for his career, .797, versus a career .498 OPS against vs. lefties. He can go multiple innings, but his splits don't lie. He is, and always has been, very ineffective against righties.

 

The ramifications of this potential rule probably affect him the most. Think of a game against the Cardinals or Cubs. Hader is unavailable, as he normally for several days after his usual multi-inning appearances. Claudio is brought in to face Carpenter, or Rizzo with 1 out. He retires his man, but now instead of going to Knebel, or Woodruff, or Jeffress like they want to, the Brewers are forced to stick with Claudio against Goldschmidt or Baez. He is probably the worst possible option in the pen for this matchup.

 

It is a very, very bad potential rule for the Brewers with the way they operate their bullpen.

[paul253]

I just can’t see a pitch clock working. First off what’s the penalty for violating the clock? Second what if it’s the batter that’s causing the delay? Third cant the catcher just call timeout if they are getting close?

 

Lowering the mound? No way. This would effect literally every level of baseball from high school up. Colleges and minor leagues would have to follow suit or else pitchers would come into the majors and have to adjust at the top level. Then eventually high schools would have to consider changing suit. And what’s the point? More offense? Who cares about that? The DH to the NL will add offense, as will making pitchers face multiple hitters.

 

Universal DH I like. I don’t like the idea of draft changes unless it actually makes a draft that makes sense. I swear MLB has the convoluted non sensical draft rules on the planet. What’s wrong with a worldwide draft where compensation is based on the entirety of the offseason personnel moves like in the NFL?