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Maldonado, Contreras willing to pay fine for exceeding mound-visit limit

Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The threat of "progressive discipline" won't deter Los Angeles Angels catcher Martin Maldonado from going out to talk with his pitcher in a high-leverage spot, as the 31-year-old said Tuesday he'll suffer the consequences for exceeding the new limit of six mound visits per game, if need be.

"If the game is on the line, I'm going to go out there," Maldonado told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. "If we're at six, and it’s going to be the seventh, I’m going to go out there, even if I have to pay a fine. I'm there for the pitchers."

Willson Contreras, the Chicago Cubs' talented young catcher, is willing to pay the fine, too.

"What about if you have a tight game and you have to go out there? They can't say anything about that, that's my team and we just care about wins," Contreras told Josh Frydman of WGN News. "If they're gonna fine me about number 7 mound visit, I'll pay the price."

Their comments echoed the statement made Monday by Tony Clark, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, who said that players - who worked with the commissioner's office to devise the new pace-of-play initiatives - "remain concerned about rule changes that could alter the outcome of games and the fabric of the game itself - now or in the future."

Under the new rules, teams are allowed a maximum of six visits to the mound - be it from a coach, manager, catcher, or infielder - without a pitching change per game. However, if the home-plate umpire feels a pitcher and catcher are crossed up, and that team has already used up its six visits, he can grant the catcher a brief trip to the mound. Players who consistently or flagrantly violate the rules will be subject to progressive discipline.

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