MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred today vowed pace-of-play rules changes will be in place for the '18 season, regardless of whether he reaches a deal with the MLBPA. Manfred again stressed his intended process is to reach an agreement, but he holds unilateral power to impose changes should talks fail to produce a deal. He said, “My preferred path is a negotiated agreement with the players. But if we can’t get an agreement we are going to have rules changes in 2018 one way or the other.”
Manfred also defended new Marlins co-Owners Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter, who have already been under fire for reported deliberations about trading away RF Giancarlo Stanton and the $295M still owed to him. “It’s unfair, really, to criticize a decision -- if it turns out to be the decision -- to move a player who has a contract that somebody else negotiated,” Manfred said. When asked what he liked about the Marlins sale process, Manfred said, “I like the [$1.1B] price. I like the new owners that we got. I like them a lot. I think they’re going to be great for Miami. Whatever little hiccups there may have been along the way -- every process has its issues -- I think the outcome is outstanding.”
