Three-batter minimum, DH for the NL among MLB changes proposed

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball and its players are discussing bold changes to spark the sport that include a three-batter minimum before a pitching change except at the start of an inning, a single trade deadline set before the all-star break and expanded rosters.

The union renewed its push to extend the designated hitter to the National League, suggested amateur draft incentives for winning records and penalties for losing records and proposed a change in service-time rules that would lead to faster free agency for top rookies held in the minor leagues early in the season.

The talks are an expansion of the ones last off-season in which management threatened to implement a pitch clock, then backed off but did institute limits on mound visits without pitching changes. Management made its proposal on Jan. 14, the union responded last Friday and discussions are ongoing.

Details were disclosed to the Associated Press by people familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized.

Management is concerned about a drop in offence that saw strikeouts exceed hits for the first time last year and the big league batting average drop to its lowest level since 1972. In a season that included an unusually cold and wet April, average attendance dropped for the third straight season and fell below 30,000 for the first time since 2003.

Management proposed that a team not be allowed to bring in a reliever until the previous pitcher has faced three batters or an inning ends. There were 1,145 one batter outings last season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, up from 1,119 the previous year but down from 1,182 in 2016. The change would have an impact on the use of “openers” for a few batters, a move pioneered by Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash and emulated by Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series, when he removed left-handed starter Wade Miley after one batter and replaced him.

Players countered the change should start in the minor leagues this year and reach the majors in 2020.

A limit of six pitching changes began last season, and management wants to lower that to four this season and three in 2020. The union countered with five this year and, if the average time of a nine-inning game is longer this year than last, then four in 2020.