Major League Baseball, the owners, the players and the MLB
Players Association have reached a tentative five-year labor contract before
the deadline on Thursday and quite a bit changed from the new collective
bargaining agreement to the old. This should be expected, especially when 26
years old labor peace is on the line, but in the end the deal got done. Here is
what changed in the new CBA and here are some of the changes you should expect
to see in 2017 and beyond.
The All Star Game will no longer determine which league and
team gets home-field advantage in the World Series after 14 seasons. Thank
goodness. The team with the better regular season record will be at home for
Game One and potentially Game Seven starting in the 2017 World Series.
The 15-Day DL is no more. It is now known as the 10-Day DL.
Minor change but I like it, especially for a team like the Yankees who like to
give their players “a day.”
The luxury tax will rise from $189 million to $195 million
in 2017, $197 million in 2018, $206 million in 2019, $209 million in 2020 and
$210 million in 2021. Tax penalties increase from 17.5 % to 20% for first time
offenders who go over the luxury tax while second offenders continue to pay
30%. Teams like the Yankees who have gone over the luxury tax at least three
consecutive years will see their penalties rise from 40% to 50%. There is also
a surtax of 12% for teams who are $20 - $40 million above the threshold while
teams with more than $40 million in salary over the threshold will pay 42.5%.
No longer will teams who sign qualifying offer attached
players have to give up a first round draft pick or their highest pick in the
draft. Under the new rules a player can only be offered a qualifying offer once
in his career and the team signing the player lose their third highest pick,
not their highest if they are a revenue sharing team, it’s second and fifth
highest picks if the team paid luxury tax in the prior season and it’s second
highest pick if it doesn’t fit any of the prior criteria. More complications
but all you need to know is your first round pick is now safe.
If the player signs a deal worth more than $50 million his
old team will receive a pick at the end of the first round while the team would
receive a Competitive Balance Round B pick if the contract signed is under $50
million. If that team pays luxury tax the draft pick would drop to after the
fourth round regardless of the contract their previous player signed. THAT
HURTS.
If you are more than $40 million over the luxury tax threshold
your highest selection in the next draft immediately drops 10 places. THAT ALSO
HURTS.
25 and 40 man rosters are still a thing. No 26 man rosters
like previously reported. September call ups are also still a thing, and I like
that.
Smokeless tobacco is now banned for all new players, or
players who has less than one day of major league service. Older players are
grandfathered in.
The regular season got four days longer but those are
scheduled off days for teams and players.
MORE STEROID TESTING.
