Yahoo Actualités 
Rob Manfred: No rule changes in 2017, but 2018 could be different
Rejoice, baseball purists, because the game isn’t going to change in 2017. Commissioner Rob Manfred has suggested a number of possible rule changes in recent weeks, but all of them were shot down by the MLB Players Association.
Rob Manfred: There will not be substantive rules changes in 2017 due to “lack of cooperation from the MLBPA.”
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 21, 2017
Most of the rule changes were proposed with the idea of speeding up the game. Manfred has talked about implementing pitch clocks, getting rid of the intentional walk, altering the strike zone and even changing the way teams operate in extra innings.
The union pushed back against all of those ideas, a point Manfred made sure to emphasize.
While baseball will remain the same in 2017, that’s probably not going to be the case in 2018. The owners have the power to unilaterally make changes to the game starting next year, according to Manfred.
Manfred says CBA allows owners to make unilateral changes to rules as soon as next year.
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) February 21, 2017
That development comes as quite the surprise. If true, that would mean the owners would be free to implement many of the changes Manfred discussed as early as 2018 without a fight from the union. Many already believed the union gave up quite a bit in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. This new development makes things seem even worse for the players.
While that remains the biggest item discussed by Manfred on Tuesday, he also addressed the following issues:
Manfred intends to keep the World Baseball Classic going as long as he’s in charge.
MLB views Las Vegas as a viable market moving forward. This is the second time in the past few weeks Manfred has mentioned the league may be softening its stance on gambling.
Manfred believes Chase Field in Arizona needs significant work in order to continue operating as a major-league stadium. The Diamondbacks have looked for permission to leave Chase Field unless the city agrees to pay for renovations.
Though he made no guarantees, Manfred hinted at a renovated Wrigley Field being a great place for a future All-Star game.
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
– – – – – – –
Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
