MLB Weekly Digest March 14th Edition: MLB, MLBPA Agree to New CBA

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The prior week in MLB was about the league and the MLBPA agreeing to a new CBA and a pair of starting pitchers sign deals with teams in the National League.

MLB, MLBPA Agree to New CBA

Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement a couple of days ago.

According to Evan Drellich of The Athletic and James Wagner of The New York Times, the new CBA has several changes.

Some final details of a CBA where players made some notable gains:
• Pre-arb bonus pool at $50m
• Min salary: $700k, $720k, 740k, $760k, $780k
• CBT: $230m-$244m
• Draft lottery at 6 picks
• Universal DH
• Amateur draft is 20 rounds
• Player can be optioned 5 times per yr

— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) March 10, 2022

Among the details of the final agreed-upon deal:
— the luxury tax thresholds start at $230M and end at $244M
— the pre-arbitration bonus pool is at $50M *without* annual increases
— players who finish 1st or 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting get a full year of service time

— James Wagner (@ByJamesWagner) March 10, 2022

They include expanding the playoffs to 12 teams, universal designated hitter, six-team draft lottery, increasing competitive balance tax thresholds, changing the minimum salary, and other things.

MLBPA executive director Tony Clark addressed the agreement in a statement.

Players achieve key objectives in new Basic Agreement pic.twitter.com/9Vqke9UqxX

— MLBPA Communications (@MLBPA_News) March 11, 2022

Players were allowed to report to spring training as early as a couple of days ago, while Opening Day for the 162-game season is expected to be April 7, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Players can report to spring-training camps as early as tomorrow. Opening Day is expected to be April 7, as @JesseRogersESPN first reported. Transactions unfreeze upon ratification, which is expected to come as early as today, meaning free agents can sign and trades can occur.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 10, 2022

The new 12-team postseason format will have playoff spots determined through an “NFL-type” tiebreaker formula instead of the usual Game 163 tiebreaker, per Jayson Stark of The Athletic.

Some details emerging on how the expanded playoffs will work:

* No more Game 163 tiebreakers. All playoff spots will be determined through NFL-type tiebreaker formulas.

* No re-seeding for the LDS. 1st seed plays winner of 4 vs. 5 Wild Card Series. 2nd seed plays 3 vs 6 winner.

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) March 10, 2022

Teams will not be re-seeded for the divisional series, per Stark.

The fact the MLB and MLBPA were able to reach an agreement is significant for baseball fans as it was unknown if both sides were going to reach an agreement.

The next several weeks will be chaotic as many free agents remain unsigned.

San Francisco Giants Sign Starting Pitcher Carlos Rodon to Two-Year Deal

The San Francisco Giants have signed starting pitcher Carlos Rodon to a two-year, $44-million deal that includes an opt-out after the first year, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Left-handed starter Carlos Rodón and the San Francisco Giants are in agreement on a two-year, $44 million contract that includes an opt-out after the first season, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 11, 2022

Rodon had an impressive 2021 campaign with the Chicago White Sox.

The left-handed pitcher posted a 2.37 ERA in 132 2/3 innings pitched (24 starts) with 185 strikeouts, 36 walks allowed, 13 home runs yielded, a 183 ERA+, 2.65 FIP, and 0.95 WHIP.

Rodon was selected as an All-Star for the first time last year, and it marked the first time since 2016 he threw more than 130 innings.

Rodon was placed on the injured list last August with left shoulder fatigue and missed the rest of the season but was fantastic when healthy.

The addition of Rodon was an intelligent move by the Giants as it bolsters their starting rotation.

Rodon will probably be the No. 2 pitcher in their rotation as they did lose starting pitcher Kevin Gausman to free agency, who signed with the Toronto Blue Jays before the lockout.

Los Angeles Dodgers Ink Starting Pitcher Clayton Kershaw to One-Year Contract

The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw to a one-year contract, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Free-agent left-hander Clayton Kershaw is in agreement with the Dodgers on a one-year deal, pending a physical, sources tell @TheAthletic.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 11, 2022

The contract is worth $17 million, and it includes incentives for the 2022 season, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

Kershaw gets $17M plus incentives on Dodgers deal

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 11, 2022

Kershaw battled through injuries last season, posting a 3.55 ERA in 121 2/3 innings (22 starts) with 144 strikeouts, 21 walks surrendered, 15 home runs allowed, a 115 ERA+, 1.01 WHIP, and 3.00 FIP.

Kershaw returning to the Dodgers is excellent for the team as they did lose pitcher Max Scherzer to free agency.

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Chris Lacey

Chris is a 29-year old New Jersey native whose favorite sports team is the Arizona Diamondbacks. He previously attended Western New England College to study Sports Management. Chris has been following the Diamondbacks since he was 12. You can find him on Twitter at @aecanada12.

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