Page 17 - ARUBA TODAY

A17
Friday 15 March 2019

MLB players,

owners to

start labor

talks two

years early

BY RONALD BLUM
AP Baseball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Major
League Baseball and its
players agreed to an un-
precedented early start
to contract bargaining,
a move sparked by union
anger that raised the pos-
sibility of a return to work
stoppages that marred the
sport in the late 20th cen-
tury.
MLB and the union an-
nounced modest rule
changes Thursday, mostly
starting in 2020 such as
expanded rosters and a
three-batter minimum for
pitchers, and the com-
missioner's office agreed
to drop its push for pitch
clocks until 2022 at the ear-
liest.
Players have been furious
at slow free-agent markets
during the first two offsea-
sons of the collective bar-
gaining agreement set to
expire Dec. 1, 2021. The
agreement increased the
level of the luxury tax and
prompted more teams to
jettison veterans in favor
of rebuilding with youth.
None of the previous 11
collective bargaining
agreements dating to 1966
was overhauled in mid-
agreement, except for lim-
ited areas defined by the
sides when the deal was
signed.
“It remains to be seen what
the union’s going to ask for,
what we’re going to ask for
and whether we reach an
agreement,” deputy com-
missioner Dan Halem said.
“It’s a positive sign we were
able to reach an agree-
ment with the union on rule
changes and hopefully we
can build on that.” Keegan Bradley misses a putt on the ninth green during the first round of The Players Championship golf tournament Thursday,
March 14, 2019, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Continued on 23 Associated Press