The Blue Jays Are Bracing For Rule Changes With Players Feeling Their Input Is Being Ignored

The incoming requirement that players have both feet within the cut means “you’d be halfway to dirt” with a foot start, he explained, “so the whole pre-pitch routine changes.” Concern about disrupting the subtleties of the game, as well as general opposition to the change, is why the four players on the Competition Commission representing the players’ union, including Merrifield, voted against implementing the new rules. “The players weren’t against the pitch clock or the shift ban,” Merrifield said. “There are just certain things that as players we’ve been trying to avoid as much as altering the dynamics of the game that come with the pitch clock and the shift. We raised these issues and tried to address them in two different ways, and we did not feel that the final proposal addressed the issues that are going to arise with this material. We wanted to put it on record that we weren’t about all the details that came along with the rule changes.” That the final vote came along management-union lines – six in favor, all on the ownership side, including Blue Jays chairman and CEO Mark Shapiro, to four against – reflects the continuing rift between the sides. The Competition Commission, a clever creation to break out of the bitter lockout, offered an opportunity for the sides to work more collaboratively on rule changes. But the 6-4 lineup plus an umpire’s representative means the league always has the final say, and in the body’s first major act, commissioner Rob Manfred wielded that gavel. “It went really well,” Merrifield said of the committee process. “I felt like we were heard. I felt the discussions were good. They were two-way. They were genuine. It was just disappointing to see the actual proposal and see all the things we talked about not there. I don’t know why that was. I don’t know if Manfred came in and said, no, this is how we’re going to do it, or that the plan was to make us feel like we were a part of it. I do not know. But I feel the calls went well. It was a bit disappointing.” Especially since the three changes are so significant, even if unsurprising given Major League Baseball’s testing of the minor leagues in recent seasons. The pitch clock is the most essential, with pitchers instructed to start their pitch within 15 seconds when the bases are empty and 20 seconds when runners are on. Pitchers can disengage the bunt twice during an at-bat without penalty, which limits them to two pickoff attempts. Players, meanwhile, must be ready with eight seconds left on the clock and can call time once per trip to the plate. Here are the defensive shift restrictions, which will force two players to line up on either side of second base with both feet on the ground. Also, infielders will not be able to switch sides unless there is a defensive switch. Finally, in the less controversial switch, the bases will expand from 15 inches to 18 inches, reducing the gap between first and second and second and third by 4.5 inches, but more importantly creating a safer space for plays at first base. During a press conference in New York, Manfred deflected some of the player backlash by saying that “if you look back at the changes that have happened to the game over the last few years, there’s always a period at the beginning where because we all love the game so much , there is a reluctance to see change.” “It’s just a reflection of people’s attachment to the game,” he continued. “Then as you watch the change in operation, I think there’s more acceptance and, in many cases, people who were initially opposed actually become supporters of the change.” There was certainly no shortage of concern for the Blue Jays, for whom the new rules will force changes both individually and collectively. Some numbers to digest: • Defensively, they have used shifts in 54.4 percent of all plate appearances, per Statcast data, more than any other team in the majors and well above the 34.3 percent average. • They also swung right-handers at a career-high 47.6 percent, more than double the 20.3 percent average. • The Blue Jays were also much more aggressive in their use of four-man outfields, deploying them in 238 plate appearances, per Statcast data, more than double the number of 103 by the second-place Tampa Bay Rays. • Among regular members of their pitching staff, Trevor Richards has shifted back the most in 67.5% of his plate appearances, followed by Jose Berrios (62.3), Ross Stripling (61.4), Jordan Romano (55 .8) and Alec Manoa (54.5). Kevin Gausman, in particular, was among the lowest at 45 percent. • Turnovers are less frequent against their players, although Cavan Biggio, at 83.4 percent, Jackie Bradley Jr. at 64.3 and George Springer at 60.1 will all have the field open to them. Santiago Espinal, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., have shifted in 11.3 percent of plate appearances or less. Bo Bichette has changed once all year. “Like any team, we’ll have to make some adjustments in the offseason and see how we develop defensively,” interim coach John Snyder said. “We’ll be fine with that, mostly it’s up to us to adjust accordingly as an organization, as a staff and go from there.” Gausman sees the benefit in limiting shifts and likes to work quickly to get players on their heels, but still, “I just don’t agree with the pitch clock, I just don’t like changing the game,” he said. “I’m kind of an old school mentality where I think the game is great the way it is. I don’t think we need to change anything. I think the players have to adjust to how bad the pitchers are now. And that’s why guys can’t hit the ball where they want, because pitches are moving at historic speeds with historic motion. And so I think that’s Rob’s way of trying to combat that.” Likewise, Biggio immediately noted how the defensive limitations will open up the 3-4 hole for him and likely mean a lot more snaps on the season. But he added: “I watched my dad play for the first 12 years of my life and fell in love with the game, so I hate to see it change.” Biggio experienced the pitch clock firsthand during a rehab assignment at triple-A Buffalo earlier this season and felt “it’s a little too fast.” While the MLB timer will be set slower at 15 and 20 versus 14 and 18/19 in the minors, “it’s going to take a little bit of an adjustment period next year, especially with guys who have been in the league longer than myself.” During his plate appearances with Buffalo, Biggio consciously reminded himself to be ready with nine seconds left “and it took my mind off what I’m trying to do in the box, even a little bit . It’s a kind of distraction. … You have to change your routine between pitches.” Gausman expected the introduction of the pitch clock to be more staggered, Biggio hoped for a bit more pace and Merrifield said the players were pushing for a more gradual introduction of the change, with players either staying in the dirt and playing where they want to either stay on either side of the second but give you more control to move abroad. “At the end of the day, they’re going to do whatever they want, they really don’t need our approval,” Biggio said. “If you look at the vote, all the players voted against it and they really don’t care. It sucks to hear, but that’s just the way the game is. You have to make adjustments to where the game is going. We’ll see.” Consequences, intended and unintended, are sure to follow. Research cited by MLB showed that fans enjoyed stolen base attempts, triples, doubles and great defensive plays the most, while the least popular on-field actions were mound visits, walks, pitching changes and pickoff attempts. Over the past 25 years, the average playing time has increased from 2:56 to 3:07 despite a decrease in scoring from 4.77 to 4.30. His batting average has dropped from .267 to .243 as strikeouts have increased from 17.1 percent to 22.3 percent. Stolen base attempts have dropped from 2.15 to 1.35. Merrifield worried about how the art of the stolen base would disappear, with capable baserunners forcing two pickoff attempts before taking off at third. “It’ll just be a track meet, you won’t have to work, really,” he said. “Get a big lead, make the pitch pick and watch the clock and when the clock runs out, you’re out.” MLB consultant Theo Epstein pointed to broader trends in the game and argued that rule changes were made in “an effort to return the game to earlier eras and more traditional rules that featured more contact, more action, a faster pace, and more entertainment value.” “ These efforts come at the expense of rules and routines, often preached by organizations, established by players. Although minor league players adjusted quickly, the change is easier for players early in their careers. Some great champions are sure to struggle as they search for new comfort zones and patterns. Evaluation of players in the context of what…