Evan Drellich | The Athletic $: MLB has requested federal mediation for labor negotiations, which has been described as a “win-win” for the league. The players would have to agree to it, so if the players say no, the league wins because dummies will think the players are obstructing the process. If the players say yes, a mediator would likely skew things in the league’s direction since the league hasn’t budged from the status quo. The league also walked back their promise that they would issue a counter-offer on Thursday.
Rob Mains | Baseball Prospectus $: Last postseason, teams that outhomered their opponents were 25-2. While dads around the nation shake their heads in disgust at all these players who can’t shorten up and hit the ball the other way, beef lords are still going to swing for the fences because the value of home runs keeps going up.
Brandon Day | Bless You Boys: The Detroit Tigers are on the rise thanks to well-known prospects and rookies Spencer Torkelson, Casey Mize, and Tarik Skubal. Reese Olson, who came over in the Daniel Norris trade, may not have the name recognition, but he looks like he’ll make an impact.