Peter Bayer, a former minor league pitcher, has spent the past two seasons on the MLB’s banned list for betting on baseball. The Commissioner’s Office recently denied Bayer’s latest request for reinstatement, which means he will not be eligible to apply again until after the 2023 World Series. According to The Athletic, Bayer’s story of... Continue Reading →
Prospect Promotion Incentive – Eliminating Service Time Manipulation or Masking it?
Photo via Baltimore Sun Before the 2021/22 MLB regular season, both the owners and the union went through a lengthy collective bargaining negotiation. A key aspect of these negotiations was to encourage teams to promote their top prospects, or to ensure certain players secured a full year of service time, regardless of their actual games... Continue Reading →
Yasiel Puig Pleads Guilty To Lying To Federal Agents
Former MLB star and current KBO player, Yasiel Puig has plead guilty to lying to federal agents in in regard to an illegal gambling operation.[1] Puig, who spent 7 years in the MLB and was an All-Star in 2014, was questioned in January 2022 in regards to his potential use of an illegal gambling business... Continue Reading →
California Residents Vote Against Legalized Sports Betting
When California residents headed to the polls to vote in the 2022 midterm elections, they had the option to vote in favor of two propositions that would advance the legalization of sports betting in the state.[1] Voters in California did not approve either of these propositions, so for now, sports betting will not be legal... Continue Reading →
2023 Super Two Service Time Set
Image via Through The Fence Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) has the unique system of salary arbitration to allow young players to be compensated before they hit the free agent market. Players typically must accrue three years of Major League service time – with one year of service time equaling 172 days on the 26-man... Continue Reading →
Washington Nationals Acquisition Becomes Seemingly More Probable
Photo via Sports Illustrated Over the past year, the Lerner family has been shopping their family’s prized possession, the Washington Nationals. The history of the Lerners’ ownership and more information about the early steps of this potential sale can be found here. A group led by businessman Ted Leonsis is said to be the “clear... Continue Reading →
MLB’s Qualifying Offer – From its Inception to its Impending Removal
Photo via Sportsnet Background: Most individuals who follow baseball have heard the term “qualifying offer,” but likely do not know what the term entails. The qualifying offer is a competitive balance measure implemented in the 2012-16 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), restructured under the 2017-21 CBA and it remains in place for the duration of the... Continue Reading →
Judge Declares Pittsburgh’s “Jock Tax” For Professional Athletes Unconstitutional
[1] Last week, Allegheny County Judge Christine Ward struck down a fee levied by the City of Pittsburgh against visiting professional athletes’ wages, calling the fee an unconstitutional tax under Pennsylvania law.[2] The fee was originally challenged in court in November 2019, spearheaded by three athletes, including New York Islanders right-winger Kyle Palmieri, former Pittsburgh... Continue Reading →
MLB’s 2023 Rule Changes and The Sports Gambling Implications
Photo via Athletics Nation Pace of play is an aspect of modern day baseball that has been heavily criticized. Major League Baseball (MLB) created a joint competition committee consisting of six players, six team executives and one umpire in late June to attack this issue and grow the entertainment value of the sport. Recently, the... Continue Reading →
Pre-Arbitration Bonus Pool Details & Ramifications
Photo via bardown.com Major League Baseball (MLB) successfully started its season on time by coming to a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), but a caveat of that deal was that they would come up with a bonus pool of money for pre-arbitration eligible players. Details on... Continue Reading →