[teejers1]

Dodgers are moving backwards.  Scherzer and Seager are gone.  Kershaw, Taylor and Jansen are still free agents.

BTW, Jay Jackson is a loss.  His numbers were absurdly good.  

And finally, the Collective Bargaining Agreement is over at 9 p.m. on Wed., 12/1, at which point the league will enter a lockout.  That will mean a league-wide transaction freeze.  Some points:

1) Players want more at the top and bottom.
2) They want reduced penalties for large-payroll teams.
3) Owners want expanded playoffs.
4) Universal DH is on the table.

Pitchers and catchers don't report for 2.5 months, so there's time to negotiate.

The top issue for players is actually reducing the years of team control, i.e. reaching arbitration/free agency earlier so that the majority of players able to establish their true market aren't past their prime. This will be the key issue to resolve, the rest are tradeoffs that are already understood and will happen.

The very aggressive contracts being extended thus far can only be read as being a good sign in terms of management being bullish about the industry which should result in flexibility re labor.

I've long believed that the NFL rookie contracts (4 years, plus often a club option for a 5th year) are abusive for simple reason that most NFL careers are 3+ years.  The players should be entitled to earn free market salary after 2 years . . . max.  And I still believe that.

It just may be true that team control over players' careers in MLB is even more abusive.  Reducing the years of team control should be imposed by the Commissioner, if it's not agreed to during CBA.  That will never happen, of course, but it should.

[teejers1]

Dodgers are moving backwards.  Scherzer and Seager are gone.  Kershaw, Taylor and Jansen are still free agents.

BTW, Jay Jackson is a loss.  His numbers were absurdly good.  

And finally, the Collective Bargaining Agreement is over at 9 p.m. on Wed., 12/1, at which point the league will enter a lockout.  That will mean a league-wide transaction freeze.  Some points:

1) Players want more at the top and bottom.
2) They want reduced penalties for large-payroll teams.
3) Owners want expanded playoffs.
4) Universal DH is on the table.

Pitchers and catchers don't report for 2.5 months, so there's time to negotiate.

The top issue for players is actually reducing the years of team control, i.e. reaching arbitration/free agency earlier so that the majority of players able to establish their true market aren't past their prime. This will be the key issue to resolve, the rest are tradeoffs that are already understood and will happen.

The very aggressive contracts being extended thus far can only be read as being a good sign in terms of management being bullish about the industry which should result in flexibility re labor.

I've long believed that the NFL rookie contracts (4 years, plus often a club option for a 5th year) are abusive for simple reason that most NFL careers are 3+ years.  The players should be entitled to earn free market salary after 2 years . . . max.  And I still believe that.

It just may be true that team control over players' careers in MLB is even more abusive.  Reducing the years of team control should be imposed by the Commissioner, if it's not agreed to during CBA.  That will never happen, of course, but it should.