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Leagues and Governing Bodies

MLB's Free-Agent Market Reflects Uncertainties Around '21 Season

MLB teams by Wednesday must tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players to keep them from entering free agency, but during baseball's "nuclear winter," it is "widely expected that there will be more non-tenders than ever before," according to Sean McAdam of the BOSTON SPORTS JOURNAL. The uncertainty around the '21 MLB season "means more substantial financial losses -- at least for the first half of the season," and that has owners "ordering their front offices to slash payroll." A few teams -- including the Mets and Blue Jays -- are "positioned to buck the trend, but they're the exception, not the rule." Teams "forfeited significant revenues" in '20, with many clubs "suffering nine-figure losses" (BOSTONSPORTSJOURNAL.com, 11/28). One player agent said, "I'd expect more movement throughout the league in the coming weeks. It's been as quiet as we thought it would be and once the non-tendered guys hit the market this week, we'll have a better read on what’s available and you'd think that's when it will start to pick up." The agent added the Mets "will be in the mix more than they have in the past" (N.Y. POST, 11/29).

UP IN THE AIR: In N.Y., Bill Madden noted players are "facing a potentially lean offseason in which nobody has any idea what the owners' revenues are going to be," or when the '21 season is "even going to begin, and with how many games." The only thing that "appears certain is that, with a few exceptions, long-term (3 or more years) megabucks contracts aren't going to be in the offing this winter." Many non-tendered veteran players in the $2-8M range, are "going to be left without a chair." Despite this, MLB agent Scott Boras has been "telling all of his clients that everything is going to be back to normal" -- and, as such, "acting accordingly in making his typically exorbitant demands for their services." Apparently, MLBPA Exec Dir Tony Clark is "taking the same stance." But the owners and players have "barely talked about start-up plans for next season." A club exec said, "Even if there’s vaccines available next month, with all the COVID restrictions there’s no way we’re going to be able to have spring training in February and March." Madden: "More likely, we're looking at spring training in April and a regular 'fannies in the seats' season beginning sometime in May -- likely shortened to around 130 games, which will mean more lost revenue for the clubs" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/29).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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