Baseball fans will get a full 162-game season after all. The Major League Baseball owners and players agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement on Thursday, ending the 99-day lockout and setting the stage for resuming all baseball activities.

The new CBA became official after both the owners and the players voted in favor of ratifying the agreement. The team owners agreed unanimously to the new deal, while 26 out of the 38 player representatives voted “yes.”  

With the five-year collective bargaining agreement in place, free agents can agree to new deals, and players can start reporting for spring training. The first spring training games are scheduled for March 17th, while the Opening Day will be on April 7th. The league intends to play the full 162-game schedule by adding three extra days to the season and playing doubleheaders.

This marks the end of lengthy and often volatile negotiations between the league and the union. The two sides had significant differences on many issues, and neither side was willing to soften their stand for a long time. Finally, however, with the 2022 season in danger, the owners and the players made necessary concessions that allowed a compromise.

The new CBA includes major changes like 12-team postseason, increase of competitive-balance tax to $244M by 2026, and raise in minimum salary from $570,500 last season to $700,000 in 2022 and up to $780,000 by the end of the five years. The league will also institute a lottery draft in order to discourage tanking.

The post MLB’s 99-Day Lockout Ends as Owners and Players Agree to a New CBA appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Major League Baseball has made a significant step in the attempt to resolve several issues that arose from the possibility of having a canceled or shorter 2020 season due to ongoing coronavirus pandemic. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the league came to an agreement with MLB Players Association on several key points regarding this situation while committing to pay $170 million in salary advance to players in the next two months.

Passan reports that MLB and the players association were engaged in talks for the past two weeks, trying to find common ground and come to the best solution moving forward. Besides the players and league officials, the negotiations also included owners, agents, executives, and union officials, among others.

The owners of MLB teams ended up agreeing to pay a salary advance up to $95,000 per day to eligible players for the next 60 days or until the 2020 MLB season officially starts. Once the season kicks off, the money will be accounted towards their regular salaries. If the season ends up being canceled altogether, the players will get to keep the money.

Reportedly, both players and owners hope that they will get to play as many games as possible and agreed on possible doubleheaders, longer regular season, and games without an audience if needed.

One of the bigger issues that needed to be solved was service time. Players were set on having 2020 counted full towards free agency, arbitration, and pension, even if the season doesn’t play out. Once MLB representatives agreed on this, the rest of the negotiations went smoothly.

The agreement also gave MLB’s commissioner Rob Manfred discretion to short the 2020 MLB Draft, and move it to June or July. Manfred can also shorten the 2021 draft if needed and delay the international signing period in both of the following two years.

The post MLB Agrees to Pay $170 Million to Players in Salary Advance appeared first on SportzBonanza.

One of the most successful recent managers in baseball has been rewarded for his work with a new contract with the Colorado Rockies.

Bud Black, who has led Colorado to the playoffs in the past two seasons, was given a three-year contract extension that will keep the manager at the helm of the Rockies through the 2022 season.

Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich announced the extension during a press conference on Monday at the Rockies’ Spring Training complex in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Black is widely considered to be the best manager in the history of the Colorado franchise despite only having been hired prior to the 2017 season.

In the past two years, Black has led Colorado to two playoff berths in the uber-competitive NL West division. The former MLB pitcher hasn’t yet won the division with Colorado, but has qualified them twice for the playoffs as a Wild Card team.

Before managing Colorado, Black spent nine years at the helm of the San Diego Padres, where he never qualified for the playoffs.

It appears that Black and the Rockies are a match made in heaven, and with the recently-announced contract extension awarded to the 61-year-old, it appears that the two parties are in it together for the long run.

The post Bud Black, Rockies Agree to 3-Year Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Major League Baseball has handed out 80 games ban to Chicago White Sox catcher Welington Castillo on Thursday. The league announced that Castillo used erythropoietin (EPO), a performance-enhancing substance, thus violating the league’s joint drug agreement.

This is the second lengthy suspension MLB has issued in May. The league previously suspended Seattle Mariners’ second baseman Robinson Cano for 80 games as well. Cano tested positive for furosemide, which isn’t a performance-enhancing drug, but it is still on MLB’s banned-substance list.

Welington Castillo issued a statement following the announcement, accepting his suspension and issuing an apology.

“I was recently notified by Major League Baseball that I had tested positive for EPO, a substance that is prohibited under MLB’s Joint Drug Agreement,” – said Castillo in a statement. “The positive test resulted from an extremely poor decision that I, and I alone, made. I take full responsibility for my conduct. I have let many people down, including my family, my teammates, the White Sox organization and its fans, and from my heart, I apologize. Following my suspension, I look forward to rejoining my teammates and doing whatever I can to help the White Sox win.“

Welington Castillo joined the Chicago White Sox in December 2017 and took part in 33 games during the 2018 season. He posted .270 batting average during that time to go alongside 6 home runs and 15 RBIs.

“The Chicago White Sox were saddened and disappointed to learn of the suspension of catcher Welington Castillo for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program,” – said White Sox general manager Rick Hahn following Castillo’s suspension. “Welington has apologized to the team and his teammates and has taken full responsibility for his actions. He understands that he has negatively affected the team and has fallen short of the expectations we have of our players. The White Sox fully support Major League Baseball’s policy and its efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing substances from our game.“

The post Chicago White Sox Catcher Welington Castillo Suspended for 80 Games by MLB appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Records are meant to be broken, and Major League Baseball has taken this seriously in 2017 season. After Cleveland Indians set a new winning streak record of American League and came close to 1916 New York Giants with their 22 straight wins, the MLB’s single-season home run record was also broken. In the game against Toronto Blue Jays, Alex Gordon of the Kansas City Royals hit a home run which was 5,694th this season and marked a new record. The previous record was 5,693 home runs in 2000 season. In case you are wondering, Alex Presley of the Detroit Tigers was the man to tie the record. Now, with 12 days left in the 2017 season, the number will just keep on rising. MLB confirmed this on their official Twitter account with an accompanying video of the home run.

A new record for most homers hit in a season – EVER.

Alex Gordon hits @MLB’s 5,694th long ball of 2017. pic.twitter.com/JQDNKZ202I

— MLB (@MLB) September 20, 2017

Current home run per game rate is 2.52 or 1.26 per team, which could mean we are in for more than 6,100 home runs in this season. For comparison, 2000 season saw 2.34 per game (1.17 per team) rate. The rate of home runs has spiked up since 2014’s 4,186 home runs, increasing around 47 percent. 107 players already hit 20 or more home runs this season, which is 3 less than in 2016. Some may argue that the reason for this record-breaking season are changes in the game itself but baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred denies that. Speaking for NBC Sports, Manfred offered the following comment:

“I don’t think that we are ever going to have a single explanation for exactly why we’ve see so many. But players are bigger and stronger. They’re playing a little differently, in terms of the way they swing. Pitchers throw harder. The one thing I remain comfortable with: Nothing about the baseball, according to our testing, is materially different.”

We will have to believe commissioner Manfred and just enjoy in this record – shattering season.

The post MLB’s Single Season Home Run Record Broken After 17 Years appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Baseball fans will get a full 162-game season after all. The Major League Baseball owners and players agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement on Thursday, ending the 99-day lockout and setting the stage for resuming all baseball activities.

The new CBA became official after both the owners and the players voted in favor of ratifying the agreement. The team owners agreed unanimously to the new deal, while 26 out of the 38 player representatives voted “yes.”  

With the five-year collective bargaining agreement in place, free agents can agree to new deals, and players can start reporting for spring training. The first spring training games are scheduled for March 17th, while the Opening Day will be on April 7th. The league intends to play the full 162-game schedule by adding three extra days to the season and playing doubleheaders.

This marks the end of lengthy and often volatile negotiations between the league and the union. The two sides had significant differences on many issues, and neither side was willing to soften their stand for a long time. Finally, however, with the 2022 season in danger, the owners and the players made necessary concessions that allowed a compromise.

The new CBA includes major changes like 12-team postseason, increase of competitive-balance tax to $244M by 2026, and raise in minimum salary from $570,500 last season to $700,000 in 2022 and up to $780,000 by the end of the five years. The league will also institute a lottery draft in order to discourage tanking.

The post MLB’s 99-Day Lockout Ends as Owners and Players Agree to a New CBA appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Major League Baseball has made a significant step in the attempt to resolve several issues that arose from the possibility of having a canceled or shorter 2020 season due to ongoing coronavirus pandemic. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the league came to an agreement with MLB Players Association on several key points regarding this situation while committing to pay $170 million in salary advance to players in the next two months.

Passan reports that MLB and the players association were engaged in talks for the past two weeks, trying to find common ground and come to the best solution moving forward. Besides the players and league officials, the negotiations also included owners, agents, executives, and union officials, among others.

The owners of MLB teams ended up agreeing to pay a salary advance up to $95,000 per day to eligible players for the next 60 days or until the 2020 MLB season officially starts. Once the season kicks off, the money will be accounted towards their regular salaries. If the season ends up being canceled altogether, the players will get to keep the money.

Reportedly, both players and owners hope that they will get to play as many games as possible and agreed on possible doubleheaders, longer regular season, and games without an audience if needed.

One of the bigger issues that needed to be solved was service time. Players were set on having 2020 counted full towards free agency, arbitration, and pension, even if the season doesn’t play out. Once MLB representatives agreed on this, the rest of the negotiations went smoothly.

The agreement also gave MLB’s commissioner Rob Manfred discretion to short the 2020 MLB Draft, and move it to June or July. Manfred can also shorten the 2021 draft if needed and delay the international signing period in both of the following two years.

The post MLB Agrees to Pay $170 Million to Players in Salary Advance appeared first on SportzBonanza.

One of the most successful recent managers in baseball has been rewarded for his work with a new contract with the Colorado Rockies.

Bud Black, who has led Colorado to the playoffs in the past two seasons, was given a three-year contract extension that will keep the manager at the helm of the Rockies through the 2022 season.

Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich announced the extension during a press conference on Monday at the Rockies’ Spring Training complex in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Black is widely considered to be the best manager in the history of the Colorado franchise despite only having been hired prior to the 2017 season.

In the past two years, Black has led Colorado to two playoff berths in the uber-competitive NL West division. The former MLB pitcher hasn’t yet won the division with Colorado, but has qualified them twice for the playoffs as a Wild Card team.

Before managing Colorado, Black spent nine years at the helm of the San Diego Padres, where he never qualified for the playoffs.

It appears that Black and the Rockies are a match made in heaven, and with the recently-announced contract extension awarded to the 61-year-old, it appears that the two parties are in it together for the long run.

The post Bud Black, Rockies Agree to 3-Year Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Major League Baseball has handed out 80 games ban to Chicago White Sox catcher Welington Castillo on Thursday. The league announced that Castillo used erythropoietin (EPO), a performance-enhancing substance, thus violating the league’s joint drug agreement.

This is the second lengthy suspension MLB has issued in May. The league previously suspended Seattle Mariners’ second baseman Robinson Cano for 80 games as well. Cano tested positive for furosemide, which isn’t a performance-enhancing drug, but it is still on MLB’s banned-substance list.

Welington Castillo issued a statement following the announcement, accepting his suspension and issuing an apology.

“I was recently notified by Major League Baseball that I had tested positive for EPO, a substance that is prohibited under MLB’s Joint Drug Agreement,” – said Castillo in a statement. “The positive test resulted from an extremely poor decision that I, and I alone, made. I take full responsibility for my conduct. I have let many people down, including my family, my teammates, the White Sox organization and its fans, and from my heart, I apologize. Following my suspension, I look forward to rejoining my teammates and doing whatever I can to help the White Sox win.“

Welington Castillo joined the Chicago White Sox in December 2017 and took part in 33 games during the 2018 season. He posted .270 batting average during that time to go alongside 6 home runs and 15 RBIs.

“The Chicago White Sox were saddened and disappointed to learn of the suspension of catcher Welington Castillo for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program,” – said White Sox general manager Rick Hahn following Castillo’s suspension. “Welington has apologized to the team and his teammates and has taken full responsibility for his actions. He understands that he has negatively affected the team and has fallen short of the expectations we have of our players. The White Sox fully support Major League Baseball’s policy and its efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing substances from our game.“

The post Chicago White Sox Catcher Welington Castillo Suspended for 80 Games by MLB appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Records are meant to be broken, and Major League Baseball has taken this seriously in 2017 season. After Cleveland Indians set a new winning streak record of American League and came close to 1916 New York Giants with their 22 straight wins, the MLB’s single-season home run record was also broken. In the game against Toronto Blue Jays, Alex Gordon of the Kansas City Royals hit a home run which was 5,694th this season and marked a new record. The previous record was 5,693 home runs in 2000 season. In case you are wondering, Alex Presley of the Detroit Tigers was the man to tie the record. Now, with 12 days left in the 2017 season, the number will just keep on rising. MLB confirmed this on their official Twitter account with an accompanying video of the home run.

A new record for most homers hit in a season – EVER.

Alex Gordon hits @MLB’s 5,694th long ball of 2017. pic.twitter.com/JQDNKZ202I

— MLB (@MLB) September 20, 2017

Current home run per game rate is 2.52 or 1.26 per team, which could mean we are in for more than 6,100 home runs in this season. For comparison, 2000 season saw 2.34 per game (1.17 per team) rate. The rate of home runs has spiked up since 2014’s 4,186 home runs, increasing around 47 percent. 107 players already hit 20 or more home runs this season, which is 3 less than in 2016. Some may argue that the reason for this record-breaking season are changes in the game itself but baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred denies that. Speaking for NBC Sports, Manfred offered the following comment:

“I don’t think that we are ever going to have a single explanation for exactly why we’ve see so many. But players are bigger and stronger. They’re playing a little differently, in terms of the way they swing. Pitchers throw harder. The one thing I remain comfortable with: Nothing about the baseball, according to our testing, is materially different.”

We will have to believe commissioner Manfred and just enjoy in this record – shattering season.

The post MLB’s Single Season Home Run Record Broken After 17 Years appeared first on SportzBonanza.