MLB Trade Rumors | Anthony Franco: Despite some hope on Tuesday night into Wednesday evening that the new CBA would finally get completed, no deal was reached and MLB announced that Opening Day will be postponed until at least April 14th. Commissioner Rob Manfred released a statement laying all of the blame at the feet of the players, while the MLBPA did the same, saying the opposite. As Andrew detailed last night, the sticking points appeared to be the owners’ desire to see an international draft instituted, as well as the players’ attempts to remove the qualifying offer from free agency for certain players. According to MLB, this delay would remove the possibility of playing 162 games in 2022.
Sports Illustrated | Pat Ragazzo: Whenever the lockout ends, the Yankees’ search for their next shortstop will quickly resume. Whoever that player is will man the middle of the infield next to Gleyber Torres, who is expected to shift over to become the regular second baseman. Second basemen and shortstops are expected to communicate well and be in sync, but Torres states that he doesn’t have any preferences for who comes in to play short, as long as they make the team better. He also isn’t upset about the move back to second base.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: One of the perhaps under-the-radar prospects in the Yankees system is 24-year-old left-handed pitcher Ken Waldichuk. Hoch details his rise through the minor leagues, which saw him end of the 2021 season with Double-A Somerset, where he posted a 4.20 ERA. He’s now ranked ninth in MLB.com’s team prospect rankings. His 163 strikeouts over 110 innings pitched in 2021 looks impressive. If the team has to reach into its pitching depth in 2022, it’s not out of the question that Waldichuk could appear, especially if he does well to start the season.
Forbes | Mike Ozanian: Yesterday’s news roundup included a story on MLB coming to terms to broadcast “Friday Night Baseball” on Apple TV+. We can now add another streaming outlet to MLB’s partners, as Forbes reported that the league had also come to terms with NBC’s Peacock. More monetary details on both contracts have been released, as well. The deal between MLB and Apple will be worth $85 million per year for seven years. The NBC deal is shorter, only being for two years, and Peacock will stream Monday and Wednesday night games that ESPN previously declined. That contract is worth $30 million annually. This is a lot of money for the league, but the benefits of putting games on streaming services that aren’t at the top in terms of views is subject to question.