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It’s the weekend, Athletics Nation!
Hey, remember the MLB lockout? It seems so far away now, back in March when we were treated to photo after photo of men in slacks walking across parking lots, and when people who had taken stock photos of locked chains wrapped around a baseball were making a killing. In the depths of negotiations running up to MLB’s self imposed deadline to start the season on-time(ish), one negotiation piece that kept being pushed by the league was an international draft.
By the time the lockout was lifted, MLB and the union had agreed to table the topic in an effort to just get playing. The set date for a resolution on the topic is July 25 but it isn’t just to do with an international draft, because its implementation is tied to the removal of the qualifying offer for departing free agents. If the two sides agree on a way to pull off the international draft, then the qualifying offer that has been in place since 2012 will be removed. No international draft? Then the qualifying offer stays as it is.
The negotiations were back and forth during the lockout, often with minor changes to money available to be given to players, or tweaks to the potential draft structure. ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez provides an excellent breakdown of how the two sides got to where they are now, and what their motivations are. Friday’s new proposal from MLBPA is the first movement on this front that we have seen since the lockout. With two weeks left to go, expect to hear more back and forth between the sides as July 25 will approach quickly.
A’s Coverage
- Ashford: Game #85: A’s drop series opener to Astros
- Cano: A’s match season-low in loss to Houston Astros
- Kroner: First-place Astros thump last-place A’s ($)
- Thanawalla: Blackburn’s frustrating home-road splits bite him in A’s loss
- Cooper: Looking Back At ‘Moneyball’ 20 Years Later ($)
- Espinoza: John Fisher takes tone-deaf picture with podcast host at A’s game
- Franco: Jurickson Profar Diagnosed With Concussion, Neck Strain
MLB News & Interest
- Gonzalez: Sources: MLBPA counters MLB’s international draft proposal; sides still far apart
- Stark: MLB midseason awards: MVP and LVP, Cy Young and Cy Yuk, and more ($)
- Bowden: One difference-making trade for each of MLB’s 6 division-leading teams ($)
- ESPN: St. Louis Cardinals’ Albert Pujols, Detroit Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera to participate in 2022 MLB All-Star Game
- Jaffe: Ohtani the Pitcher Has Overtaken Ohtani the Hitter
- McDaniel: 2022 MLB draft rankings 3.0 — Kiley McDaniel’s top 300 prospects
- Today in Baseball History
Best of Twitter
Logue will start today’s game
Zach Logue will start tomorrow for the A’s in what would have been Frankie Montas’ turn in the rotation. Mark Kotsay said the hope is that Montas will only miss one start but there’s no guarantee of that. They’ll wait to see how he feels after playing catch in the next few days.
— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) July 8, 2022
I’m not against the idea of adding some legends to the All-Star Game
The legends spots on All-Star rosters are a great idea. It’s not a game, it’s an event and a celebration. Hell, use the spots to bring back retired guys. I’d rather watch Rickey Henderson play two innings than whatever scrub timed the best eight weeks of his life well.
— Joe Sheehan (@joe_sheehan) July 8, 2022
AL All-Star starters announced
Congratulations to the 2022 American League All-Star vote winners! #AllStarGame2022⭐️
— MLBPA (@MLBPA) July 8, 2022
C: @alejandro_kirk
1B: @27Vladdyjr
2B: #JoseAltuve
SS: @TimAnderson7
3B: #RafaelDevers
OF: @TheJudge44, @MikeTrout & @Giancarlo818
DH: #ShoheiOhtani pic.twitter.com/fK806Uol6U
And the NL starters
Congratulations to the 2022 National League All-Star vote winners! #AllStarGame2022⭐️
— MLBPA (@MLBPA) July 8, 2022
C: @wcontreras40
1B: #PaulGoldschmidt
2B: @j_chisholm3
SS: @treavturner
3B: #MannyMachado
OF: @ronaldacunajr24, @mookiebetts & @yungjoc650
DH: @bryceharper3 pic.twitter.com/dRsn8hHdca
Global game!
Among the 18 #AllStarGame starters named tonight, by birthplace these #MLB players represent:
— Mike Teevan (@MRTeevs) July 9, 2022
⚾️ The Bahamas (1st All-Star!)
⚾️ Canada
⚾️ The DR
⚾️ Japan
⚾️ Mexico
⚾️ Venezuela (3 players)
⚾️ The U.S. (10)
And more to come Sunday for a proudly global game.
Pache making the most of his trip back to Triple-A
CF Cristian Pache drilled a bases-clearing 3-run double for @AviatorsLV tonight and is now batting .375 (9 for 24) with 4 doubles, 4 walks & 5 RBIs through his first 6 games with Las Vegas... https://t.co/2xAeaKWfX3
— Athletics Farm (@AthleticsFarm) July 9, 2022
The Bash Brodies
This made the night for me @BrodieNBCS and @Dsmoke34 bashing with @norcalnodders big arms.@lastdivebar pic.twitter.com/NawOLSIrc0
— Gabriel Hernandez (@gamer_athletics) July 9, 2022
Four whole decades since the peak of Billyball
40 years ago today, the legendary Billy Martin recorded his 1,000th career win as a manager when the A's beat the Yankees, 6-3. Martin was an All-Star second baseman with the Yankees in 1956, but he is best known as a manager for 19 years in the '70's and '80's. pic.twitter.com/NiOnJNjBcA
— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) July 8, 2022
It’s art
MLB umpire Charlie Ramos slips as Oakland Athletics' Sean Murphy (12) beats the tag at third base by Houston Astros' Alex Bregman (2) in the seventh inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, July 8, 2022. #drumtogether #oaklandathletics pic.twitter.com/QR1CSCsWV4
— Jose Carlos Fajardo (@jcfphotog) July 9, 2022
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