As part of a Jan. 14 proposal to the players’ union on pace of play, baseball suggested a rule requiring pitchers to face a minimum of three batters, sources told The Athletic. The Major League Baseball Players Association responded last Friday with its own comprehensive proposal that addressed the players’ concerns on competitive integrity and service-time manipulation in multifaceted fashion, sources said. A lowering of a team’s draft position for failing to reach a specified win total in a certain number of seasons is believed to be part of the union’s plan. A universal designated hitter — something the players have sought for more than three decades, according to commissioner Rob Manfred — also was part of the union’s proposal. Under the plan, the National League would adopt the DH for the 2019 season.The negotiations will continue and you should expect both sides to give in on certain demands. Hopefully one of them is finally having the DH in the National League. Maybe they don't completely adopt the rule in 2019, implementing the universal DH during all interleague games, including NL ballparks and then go all in the following year. MLB also wants to limit mound visits from six to four during a game and then down to three visits starting in 2020. There has also been talk about expanding rosters to 26, extending time a player can be on the disabled list, but the two biggest rule changes are the three-batter minimum for pitchers and a universal DH. Read all about it here.
Give me the universal DH or give me death.







