Originally posted on MLB Trade Rumors | By Steve Adams | Last updated 1/25/21
The Major League Baseball Players Association rejected the league’s most recent proposal to implement a universal designated hitter, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Monday morning in a larger, broad-reaching look at the issues facing the two parties. MLB offered up a universal DH and a willingness to rule in favor of two players on a pair of service time grievances, per Rosenthal, but in exchange it sought an agreement on expanded playoffs, the implementation of a pitch clock and a spring training trial run with electronic strike zones, among other elements.
Meet the Mets
The Mets hired Kevin Howard, who had worked as a hitting coordinator for Cleveland, as their farm director. If you’re looking to learn more about Howard, Justin Toscano has you covered.
There are three Mets prospects on this year’s Baseball Prospectus top 101: Ronny Mauricio at 42, Matthew Allan at 79, and Francisco Alvarez at 84.
If you’re wondering why the Mets have not yet signed Brad Hand, SNY’s Andy Martino claims it’s because Hand wants a multi-year deal, which the Mets have been unwilling to do thus far.
Deesha Thosar wrote about the Mets’ options in center field now that George Springer has signed elsewhere.
MLB Trade Rumors
1:30pm CDT
Eugene Freedman serves as counsel to the president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, and also writes about baseball labor relations in his spare time. On January 19th, Eugene was kind enough to chat via phone with me and answer my collective bargaining questions. If you’re interested in baseball’s labor talks, I recommend following Eugene on Twitter.
Tim Dierkes: Can you explain your background a little bit?
Eugene Freedman: Sure. So I work for a national labor union, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. I work in the office of the president and handle a lot of different things, including collective bargaining for the union. I’ve been involved over the course of my career in approximately nine term contract negotiations and not all of them with the air traffic controllers. When I was in law school, back in, I guess it was the fall of 98, I clerked at the National Labor Relations Board full-time. So I have some
MLB Trade Rumors
The Tigers announced that they have agreed to sign free agent right-hander
Anibal Sanchez to a five-year contract that includes a 2018 club option. The deal is valued at $80MM according to, Bob Nightengale of USA Today, who first reported the deal (on Twitter).
“Anibal pitched tremendously for us down the stretch and during the post-season,” Tigers president and GM Dave Dombrowski said. “He strengthens our starting rotation and we are pleased to have him back with the Tigers organization.”
Agent Gene Mato represents Sanchez, who agrees to terms with Detroit after coming close to a deal with the Cubs. Cubs ownership and Theo Epstein offered Sanchez a $77MM contract in Miami last week, but the Tigers jumped in and won the bidding, Nightengale reports (on Twitter). The Red Sox also talked to Sanchez, but didn t go as high as $80MM, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
4:06pm CDT
Daisuke Matsuzaka is still going. The 40-year-old righty signed a one-year deal with the Seibu Lions in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball earlier this week, according to the Japan Times, rejoining the club for which he starred from 1999-2006. Matsuzaka was with the Lions in 2020 as well, although he spent the year rehabbing from back surgery that prevented him from pitching. The former Red Sox right-hander returned to NPB in 2015 and has since pitched with the SoftBank Hawks and Chunichi Dragons. He’s thrown just 5 1/3 innings since the conclusion of the 2018 season due to injuries, but he’ll hope for a healthier go of it as his career comes full circle with the Lions in 2021.