Report: New CBA to give traveling MLB teams more rest between games

Teams forced to travel between cities after a night game are getting a break in the new CBA.

If an MLB team is scheduled to embark on a flight longer than two and a half hours after a game, they will be allowed to bump up the start time for that contest by a couple of hours to fit in a lengthier rest period, reports Jayson Stark of ESPN, citing sources. The change will take effect even if teams have an off day at home the next day, Stark adds.

Along with the ability to advance start times, teams will no longer be required to play an early afternoon contest if they played a night game in a different city the day prior, according to Stark, a provision the Boston Red Sox will no doubt wish was in effect this past summer.

On Aug. 17-18, the Red Sox were scheduled to face the Orioles in Baltimore at 7:05 p.m. ET on the first night but then needed to fly to Detroit to face the Tigers the following day at 1:10 p.m. ET, a conflict the Red Sox reportedly believed the Tigers purposely created.

Under the new rules, the Orioles would not have to bump up their 7 p.m. start time as Boston's flight was not longer than two and a half hours, though the Red Sox would not have played the Tigers the following afternoon any earlier than 5 p.m. ET.