Last week, Major League Baseball and the Player’s Association avoided a lockout and agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement, ensuring labor peace through the 2021 season.  The big changes involve free agent compensation and a few things related to the Mid-Summer Classic.

Let’s start with the All Star Game.  After the fiasco in Milwaukee in 2002, where the game ended in a tie after both teams ran out of pitchers, Commissioner Bud Selig decided that, going forward, the winning team would earn home field advantage for their participant in the World Series.  The new labor agreement changes that, giving home field advantage to the World Series participant with the best regular season record.  Given the scheduling disparities between the leagues, this is not a perfect solution, but is a step in the right direction.

The other ASG-related change is the removal of roster slots available for the manager’s discretion.  The Commissioner’s office will now fill out the remaining spots after the fan and player votes.  Meaning, of course, that the days of the manager bringing loads of his own players, deserving or not, is over.

Changes affecting the regular season include a new 10 day disabled list, replacing the current 15 day list.  Starting in 2018, the schedule will be expanded to provide teams with four additional off days, meaning the season will now begin in the middle of the week.

On the revenue sharing side of things, the A’s will no longer be treated as a small market team, meaning they will lose the $30+ million they get today.

Finally, free agents who have been made a qualifying offer will no longer cost a first round draft pick.  The draft pick compensation will depend on which team makes the signing and how much the contract is worth.  International bonuses have been capped between $4.75 million and $5.75 million, depending on where the team falls in the competitive balance pools.