MLB may go slow with the pitch clock

Major League Baseball has reportedly told the players’ union it is willing to postpone implementing a 20-second pitch clock until after the current labor agreement expires as part of a broad proposal on rule changes affecting mound visit restrictions, roster size and more.

The league’s latest proposal to the union, first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, would institute a pitch clock in 2022, after the collective bargaining agreement runs out at the end of the 2021 season. But the league would force pitchers to face at least three batters and further cut the number of mound visits allowed per nine innings. Such moves would stop managers from turning to pitchers who are right- or left-handed specialists to face a single batter late in games.

Teams in 2018 were allowed six mound visits per nine innings, plus one visit for each extra inning. In 2019, the league could limit teams to five visits, and four in 2020.

Rosters would also expand from 25 to 26 players, but teams could only carry 13 pitchers.

The players’ union is reportedly amenable to many of the proposed alterations, including a unified trade deadline, roster expansion and shorter breaks between innings, giving officials from both MLB and the union hope that the continued talks on rule changes could head off a labor dispute in the coming years.

Switched on: Pat Venditte figures he has an advantage if Major League Baseball and the players’ association adopt the three-batter minimum: The 33-year-old reliever is a switch-pitcher.

The rule, if adopted, might cause less use of left-handed relief specialists. That could benefit Venditte, who has made 56 appearances over three big-league seasons and is at his first spring training with the Giants.

“As long as I’m executing pitches and getting guys out, that would be beneficial from a split standpoint,” Venditte said. “The only thing that would throw that off would be a switch-hitter, obviously. Then I’d be just like anybody else. You could still have them go from their weaker side. If I’m doing my job, it would be advantageous to me.”

Venditte is proud of his special ability.

“It’s a good thing I’ve got the right hand going, for sure,” he said.