Play Ball-Winter Ball”

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The World Series has been over for just 3-weeks.

There is a feel good glow to the game after the Cubs win, and the tremendous post season games we sat and watched.

Everyone is making money in what has become a 10B industry. Baseball is on a resurgence.

And now, labor peace for another five years. We don’t have to fear the ugliness of 1994, when they shut down the World Series, and have it spill into 1995.

With the clock ticking towards midnight last night, and the end of the current MLB-Union CBA deal, the two sides met for 18-out-of 24 hours in Dallas, and got a deal done.

At the head of it all was Padres owner Ron Fowler, on a team led by Commissioner Rob Mandred, and Union Chief Tony Clark.

The money will continue to flow, there will be more free agent player movement. There will be a cap of spending for International signings-a 5M cap per team per year. There will not be an International Draft.

The 162-game schedule will take on a different look, with more off days, an earlier start to the season, and less spring training games.

Draft pick compensation will no longer entail losing a lst round pick, if you sign a pricey free agent.

Clubs over the Luxury tax will give up 2nd and 5th round picks for the stars they sign, who had gotten the 17M-qualifying offer..

Clubs under the cap, will give up just a 3rd round pick, if they ink a big money free agent who had been given a qualifying offer.

The Luxury Tax threshold goes up in increments over the new 5-years deal, however the tax bite on clubs over the Luxury Tax threshold will have a stronger bite. If you keep going over the tax theshold (attention-Dodgers-Yankees) understand you might wind up paying a 75% tax on money spent on free agents.

Look for new language and sanctions in the drug program.

Don’t look for the DH in the National League.

A surprise, don’t look for the 26-man roster, or a limit in September callups by clubs of young players.

The key component is probably the “hard cap” on International signings.

Padres GM AJ Preller would not have been allowed to spend 66M on international free agents next year, when the rules take place. But it also means, no excessive contracts for Cubans or Latin Americans or Japanese players. They all go into an international signing pool.

Baseball is profitable for all. Both sides see that now. No one wanted to revisit what baseball had become under Donald Fehr.

The Winter Meetings will start next Monday just outside Washington, DC. There will be trades, there will be signings, there will be a “Hot Stove League”.

American’s past-time is healthy. Baseball has not been passed by any longer. The owners and union saw to that just before midnight last night.

Now we can “Play Ball-Winter Ball” about to begin.

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