Golden Bats, Women in Baseball, Winter Meetings, MLB Stadiums & Juan Soto

• Rays Stadium - John Fisher money & motivation in Vegas with the A's satire
• Tradition vs. Modernization in Baseball
• Golden Bat rule challenges the traditions of baseball. MLB becomes the Savannah Bananas
• Field Dimensions and Fairness in Baseball: large market edge
• Other Ideas from Fans for changes:
  • Fans from the stands being selected to play an inning or take an at-bat.
  • Pitchers being required to hit but allowed to use aluminum bats.
  • A proposal for teams to have two women on the roster.
• Incentivizing Team Performance
• Rob Manfred’s Legacy: “just a piece of metal.” lack of passion for the game & impact of his leadership.
• Juan Soto impact with smaller markets
• Team Building and Free Agency: the importance of star players committing to smaller market teams and how it could shape their legacy.
• Historical Winter Meetings: 1988 and 2014 meetings, and how teams like the Texas Rangers & Los Angeles Dodgers made significant trades and acquisitions
• Competitive Balance in MLB: Blake Snell signing with the Dodgers.
• Juan Soto’s impending free agency and potential destinations.
• Freddie Freeman and his impact with the Dodgers vs. the Rays.
• Historical Trades: Texas Rangers (1988), Dodgers (2014).
• Rob Manfred’s will he retire as commissioner by 2030
• Incentivizing Competitive Balance: Would penalties for losses help improve the competitiveness of MLB?
• Can small-market teams make an impact by signing stars
• Teams spending Floors & Ceilings needed as large-market teams outspending smaller-market teams and creating an uneven playing field.
• Fixing the MLB System: fix the financial imbalance—not as a bargaining chip with players, but as a necessary step to protect the integrity of the league.
• The Importance of Retaining Star Players:
• A Call for League Balance: where all teams have a fair shot at retaining star talent and competing.
• Merging MiLB with NCAA would increase exposure and viewership.
• Savannah Bananas Influence on MLB
• Stadium Drama with Oakland A's & the Tampa Bay Rays
• Frustration felt by Rays fans, taxpayers, and the local community.
• Therapy needed for fans to "heal" from years of stadium uncertainty.
• Women in Baseball
  • Isla Borders, Meggie Meidlinger, and Kelsie Whitmore, women who have had professional baseball careers
  • potential of women playing in MLB when demonstrating elite skills, citing examples from other sports like hockey.
  • Rachel Balkovec (player development with the Marlins)
  • Veronica Alvarez (coach for the USAWNT) pioneers in coaching roles.
• The Future of Women’s Professional Baseball
  • Potential for a professional women’s baseball league and the challenges women might face in breaking into MLB.
  • The idea of merging smaller women’s leagues for greater comparisons to the early days of the NFL.
• Winter Meetings and the Rule 5 Draft
  • Big contract signings will be discussed and trades are expected.
  • The Rule 5 Draft will also provide insight into team strategies.
  • Juan Soto potentially commanding a $600 million deal

Just a reminder you can find Mat at M-A-T-G-E-R-M-A-I-N dot bsky social. That’s @matgermain.bsky.social or Mark at @baseballbizondeck.bsky.social
Special thank s to XTaKeRuX for the music “Rocking Forward