Latest MLB News & Notes
The sports world continues to be shut down for the most part, but the news of the sports world continues to roll on. I know we give the news with much bigger stories here at Winners & Whiners or StatSalt, but I will be doing something different every week. I will be giving out some of the latest news, notes, and rumors for the 4 major sports in separate articles. These will be done in quick-hit fashion. Just to give you a snapshot of the news & notes. If any of my quick hits were done by one of our writers, then I will give a link to the longer story if you want to check it out.
Here is my schedule for each week for these articles:
Mondays - NFL
Wednesdays - MLB
Thursdays - NBA
Saturdays - NHL
Okay, let’s rip through some of the latest MLB News & Notes.
Baseball Could Return On July 1st
On Monday, former major leaguer, Trevor Plouffe tweeted out that baseball could b returning on July 1st. We would actually see baseball back on June 10th with the beginning of training camp part Deux. I was hoping for a much earlier start but player safety is paramount so the league is doing the right thing by being cautious. Will it happen as Plouffe has stated? The tweet was shot down by the league but one team is taking is serious. According to Ken Rosenthal, The Cleveland Indians have told their players to set a target date for July 1st to get the season underway. The League has not set a date in stone but this is something to watch and it does give us baseball fans some hope.
The League has announced that it will present a plan to start the season to the MLBPA within a week. We will keep you posted.
Javier Baez Contract Talks
The Chicago Cubs have a superstar shortstop on their team and he is Javier Baez. The two-time All-Star and 2016 World Series MVP is looking for a contract extension from the Cubs but the talks have been put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Baez did state that there are no hostilities between the sides and that he is very happy to be in Chicago. The shortstop is off of another solid season that saw him hit 29 homers and drive in 85 runs.
"Obviously, we want to reach an agreement, but right now everything is on hiatus," Baez said to ESPN's Marly Rivera. "Just like it happened with baseball, we decided to leave it there. We haven't talked about it anymore."
Stay tuned
No Instant Replay In 2020?
The worldwide pandemic has made most all sports think a bit outside the box if they want their seasons to either start or restart and MLB is no exception. While the league has not yet set forth a plan to start the season, it will most likely take place in a couple of different neutral sites. The parks that the teams may not have the capabilities of handling instant replay so the league could possibly scrap it for this year. That would definitely speed up the game.
MLB & The Umpires Reach Agreement
Major League Baseball and the Umpire’s union have reached an agreement for the upcoming season, should it be played. The league and the MLBPA had started talks ver pay reduction due to Covid-19 and so the Umpires and the league did the same. The Umpires have agreed to take a 30% cut in pay for the upcoming season. Seeing that the Umpires and the league came to an agreement is a really good sign that we will see baseball this year.
Could Pujols Keep Playing Past 2021
Back in 2021, Albert Pujols signed a hug 10-4ear 240 million dollar contract with the Angels. That contract is set to expire after the 2021 season and Albert hasn’t ruled out playing past that year. He could stay with the Halos, or finish his career with another team. His numbers have been slipping some of late as he hasn’t hit over .245 in each of his last three seasons and he has just 42 homers over his last two but still, Pujols feels he’s has something left in the tank and could play past 2021. He will be 42 years old when the 2022 season takes place.
The Latest On Aaron Judge
The New York Yankees are itching to get the season underway as they are again loaded and one of the favorites to win the World Series this year. They are also itching to get their superstar, Aaron Judge, healthy and back on the field. Judge had a fractured rib that was discovered during spring training. His rib is healing and all signs have been positive so far. Judge is expected to be ready in late June or early July and that means he could be on the field shortly after the season starts if it begins in July.
The Umpires, Instant Replay, and Season Restart quick hits are all courtesy of Bleacher Report
The Javier Baez quick hit is courtesy of CBS Sports
The Albert Pujols quick hit is courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors
The Aaron Judge quick hit is courtesy Of Dan Martin at the New York Post
