Countdown to Opening Day - 21: Baseball's new commissioner focused on change
In this 30-day series, theScore's MLB editors preview the 2015 season with an in-depth look at some of the significant numbers - milestones, jersey numbers and general miscellanea - poised to pop up throughout the campaign.
By the end of next season, Major League Baseball will have enjoyed an unprecedented 21 consecutive years of labor peace.
The conclusion of the 2016 season will also mark the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement. It's too early to predict what issues might arise, but new commissioner Rob Manfred has already hinted at several big picture changes he's interested in exploring.
As we embark on Manfred's first season in office, let's take a look at a few of the major items expected to be at the forefront of the next CBA:
Worldwide Draft
The concept of a single-method entry into baseball has been widely discussed in recent years between the league and union. Owners would like to continue placing restrictions on international signings and could do so by creating a global draft with limited bonus pools and fixed slot values. The current rules favor international amateurs significantly more than high school and college players who go through the draft.
Case in point: the Houston Astros signed Carlos Correa for $4.2 million as the No. 1 pick in 2012, while Cuban phenom Yoan Moncada reportedly received a $31.5-million signing bonus from the Boston Red Sox as an international amateur free agent this winter.
"It makes all the sense in the world to have a single method of entry," Manfred said last month. "(A worldwide draft) has been a bargaining objective of the clubs in the past, and I expect it'll be an issue in 2016."
Power outage
Offense has been in steady decline over the last two decades and despite generating record-setting profit in 2014, the league is concerned that it could threaten the bottom line.
| YEAR | OBP | OPS | K% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | .314 | .700 | 20.4% |
| 2005 | .330 | .749 | 16.4% |
| 1995 | .338 | .755 | 16.2% |
Less than 24 hours into his term, Manfred began suggesting ways to create more runs, including raising the pitching mound, shrinking the strike zone and eliminating defensive shifts. One area where the league and union could potentially find compromise is adding a DH in the National League. It figures to boost offense at least marginally while lining the pockets of players with another premium-paying position.
Pace of play
Manfred is determined to make games a more fan-friendly experience, and the league and union have already demonstrated progress on speeding up the sport by eliminating some of the dead time between innings and pitches.
It's difficult to assess the early returns in spring games where lineup turnover is significant, but we should have a better idea once pace rules become punishable by fines in May. Let's hope it works, because no one wants to see a pitch clock.