Major League Baseball has a new CBA Agreement in Place

Joy to the world. Major League Baseball has come to an agreement, both the owners and the players union on a five-year pact.

A couple hours before the deadline expired and the threat of a lockout loomed, the sides reached an agreement. There will be the Winter Meetings, free agency, all the hot-stove events will be business as usual.

Most importantly, the sport is in really good shape right now and there is no speed bump or reason to be sad. Being my paranoid self and that baseball is a huge part of my everyday life, I couldn’t help but worry a little bit about the greed of the figureheads that control the game.

The details, and one will note that there are no huge structural changes to baseball:

• One item I am disappointed about – there will be no 26th roster spot as previously speculated. The current 25-man roster with expanded rosters in September will remain.
• The new CBA will have a luxury tax threshold starting at $195 million and rise to $210-215 million over the span of the five-year deal. The new CBA will have a 60-70 percent penalty for those who go far beyond the threshold, aimed at those with payrolls around $250 million or greater.
• While there will be no international draft, international signings will be capped at around $5-6 million per team per year.
• Compensation will be paid only by teams over the luxury tax threshold and with a draft pick in the second round or later. Free agent compensation will still exist, just not costing them first round picks.

Overall, a really great night in baseball history. I sure the Hell did not want to write about the strike.

Let baseball commence.