Earlier this offseason, Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association came to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement, ensuring there will not be a lockout for the foreseeable future.
Among notable changes that came with a new CBA is a revamped qualifying offer process, doing away with the All-Star Game determining home-field advantage in the World Series, and reducing the 15-day disabled list to 10 days.
There were also adjustments to luxury tax penalties and bonus pools for the annual international signing periods. Although MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has moved to make the sport more attractive to the younger audience, pace of play regulations were not implemented.
However, those may be on the horizon. According to Jayson Stark of ESPN, MLB recently sent proposals to the players’ union to change the strike zone and outlaw needing to throw the four pitches for an intentional walk:
Is this the year baseball raises the strike zone? Is it the year the sport does away with the practice of lobbing four balls toward home plate to issue an intentional walk? Major League Baseball has made formal proposals to the players’ union to usher in both of those changes, sources told ESPN.com.
The union would need to approve any changes in order for them to be added under the current CBA. That being said, one could be passed and put into effect prior to the second. Rather, the union may evaluate each proposal on an individual basis and decide if change is necessary.
Shrinking the strike zone — raising the bottom of the zone from the hollow of the knee to the top — has been a speculated potential change in recent years. Shrinking the strike zone would of course give an advantage to hitters, which in turn may prevent the proposal from being passed if pitchers deem it too unfavorable.
If a rule change to intentional walks is passed, the pitching team could simply signal they wish to walk a batter, and not need to throw four balls to home plate.
A decision on either proposal may come sooner rather than late, as Spring Training games begin at the end of the month.
