2016 – Major League Baseball owners and the Players’ Association agree on a new five-year Collective Bargaining Agreement. Highlights of the deal include: a raise in the threshold for luxury tax payments to $195 million in 2017, gradually rising to reach $210 million in 2021; the All-Star Game will no longer determine home field advantage for the World Series; and teams will no longer forfeit a first-round pick in the amateur draft if they sign a premium free agent. There is no agreement on instituting an international draft; instead, teams will have an annual $6 million bonus pool limit for international signings. The deal ensures that labor peace in MLB will have exceeded a quarter of a century by the time the agreement expires.

ByTom

2016 – Major League Baseball owners and the Players’ Association agree on a new five-year Collective Bargaining Agreement. Highlights of the deal include: a raise in the threshold for luxury tax payments to $195 million in 2017, gradually rising to reach $210 million in 2021; the All-Star Game will no longer determine home field advantage for the World Series; and teams will no longer forfeit a first-round pick in the amateur draft if they sign a premium free agent. There is no agreement on instituting an international draft; instead, teams will have an annual $6 million bonus pool limit for international signings. The deal ensures that labor peace in MLB will have exceeded a quarter of a century by the time the agreement expires.

2016 – OF Yoennis Cespedes re-signs with the Mets for four years and $110 million. This averages out to $27.5 million per year, the most ever for a position player. He had opted out of the remaining two years of his contract to have another stab at free agency.

ByTom

2016 – OF Yoennis Cespedes re-signs with the Mets for four years and $110 million. This averages out to $27.5 million per year, the most ever for a position player. He had opted out of the remaining two years of his contract to have another stab at free agency.

Representatives of the Players’ Association and major league owners meet in Irving, TX to renew the Collective bargaining agreement, which is set to expire at the end of the week. At issue are free agent compensation and particularly the qualifying offer system, the possibility of extending the amateur draft to international players, a possible raise in the threshold for luxury tax payments, roster size, the level of the minimum salary, revenue sharing and salary arbitration.

ByTom

Representatives of the Players’ Association and major league owners meet in Irving, TX to renew the Collective bargaining agreement, which is set to expire at the end of the week. At issue are free agent compensation and particularly the qualifying offer system, the possibility of extending the amateur draft to international players, a possible raise in the threshold for luxury tax payments, roster size, the level of the minimum salary, revenue sharing and salary arbitration.

The Diamondbacks and Mariners pull off a five-player trade, with P Taijuan Walker and IF Ketel Marte headed to Arizona in return for 2B Jean Segura, OF Mitch Haniger and P Zac Curtis.

ByTom

The Diamondbacks and Mariners pull off a five-player trade, with P Taijuan Walker and IF Ketel Marte headed to Arizona in return for 2B Jean Segura, OF Mitch Haniger and P Zac Curtis.

Ralph Branca, most famous for giving up the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” to Bobby Thomson while pitching for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1951 three-game playoff, passes away in Rye, NY at the age of 90. Branca was an All-Star in his own right, and a twenty-game winner, but observers usually reduced his career to one unfortunate moment.

ByTom

Ralph Branca, most famous for giving up the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” to Bobby Thomson while pitching for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1951 three-game playoff, passes away in Rye, NY at the age of 90. Branca was an All-Star in his own right, and a twenty-game winner, but observers usually reduced his career to one unfortunate moment.

President Barack Obama awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to broadcaster Vin Scully, the voice of the Dodgers for the past 67 seasons. The recently retired play-by-play announcer joins other baseball notables, including Hank Aaron, Moe Berg, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Ted Williams, and Stan Musial, to have received the nation’s highest civilian honor.

ByTom

President Barack Obama awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to broadcaster Vin Scully, the voice of the Dodgers for the past 67 seasons. The recently retired play-by-play announcer joins other baseball notables, including Hank Aaron, Moe Berg, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Ted Williams, and Stan Musial, to have received the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Oakland Athletics managing partner Lew Wolff steps down after 11 years on the job, giving the position to his closest ally, John Fisher, who has also been one of the team’s co-owner since its purchase in 2005.

ByTom

Oakland Athletics managing partner Lew Wolff steps down after 11 years on the job, giving the position to his closest ally, John Fisher, who has also been one of the team’s co-owner since its purchase in 2005.

OF Mike Trout of the Angels wins his second AL MVP Award, finishing ahead of Boston’s Mookie Betts. In the National League, second-year 3B Kris Bryant of the Cubs is a runaway winner one year after being named the league’s Rookie of the Year.

ByTom

OF Mike Trout of the Angels wins his second AL MVP Award, finishing ahead of Boston’s Mookie Betts. In the National League, second-year 3B Kris Bryant of the Cubs is a runaway winner one year after being named the league’s Rookie of the Year.

Max Scherzer is named the recipient of the National League’s Cy Young Award,

ByThis Day in Baseball

Max Scherzer is named the recipient of the National League’s Cy Young Award, making the 32 year-old, who also won the award in American League award in 2013 with the Tigers, the sixth hurler in baseball history to cop the honor in both circuits. The Washington right-hander led the NL with 20 wins, compiling a major league-leading 284 strikeouts during his 228.1 innings of work for the first-place Nationals.