Major rule changes could be coming to Major League Baseball as soon as the upcoming season.
Multiple outlets are reporting that MLB and the MLB Players Association are discussing multiple changes that would be designed to improve pace of play. That has been one of Rob Manfred’s primary objectives since becoming Commissioner in 2015.
Let's take a look at some of the most drastic proposed changes and how they could affect the Pirates in 2019 and beyond:
Proposed change: Universal designated hitter.
Potential effect: The Pirates, like every other National League team, obviously constructs its roster without factoring in a DH. It would cause them to adjust on the fly as spring training begins Monday and the regular season opens March 28.
The Pirates, though, have a couple of interesting DH candidates.
One is Jung Ho Kang, who will compete with incumbent Colin Moran for the starting third baseman’s job this spring. Kang hit a combined 36 home runs in his first two major-league seasons in 2015 and 2016, but missed all of 2017 and most of 2018 because of legal troubles and injury.
Kang also turns 32 on April 5 and had major knee surgery in 2015. Those factors, along with the Pirates’ depth at third base -- top prospect Ke’Bryan Hayes will begin the upcoming season at Triple-A Indianapolis -- could make Kang an ideal choice for DH at-bats.
Jose Osuna is another possibility. He is blocked at first base by Josh Bell and in right field by Lonnie Chisenhall and, eventually, a healthy Gregory Polanco.
While Osuna hasn’t exactly beat up on major-league pitching over the last two seasons, he has flashed potential by hitting 10 home runs and slugging .417 in 321 at-bats.
Neal Huntington is more concerned about PACE of game than LENGTH of game: #dkps #pirates pic.twitter.com/7kic9dcjBe
— Hunter Alek Homistek (@HunterAHomistek) January 26, 2019
Proposed change: Pitchers must face a minimum of three batters before being replaced.
Potential effect: This rule would suit the Pirates’ philosophy quite well. They feel carrying a left-on-left specialist in the bullpen is a wasted roster spot and prefer their relievers pitch full innings.
The ability to also face right-handed hitters is why the Pirates signed lefty relievers Francisco Liriano and Tyler Lyons as free agents this winter rather than someone such as Oliver Perez, who pitched just 32 1/3 innings in 51 games with the Indians last season.
Proposed change: A 20-second pitch clock with a ball being charged if the pitcher exceeds the time limit.
Potential effect: it shouldn’t impact the Pirates much as their staff works at a relatively good pace. The last true dawdler was lefty reliever Antonio Bastardo, who was released midway through the 2017 season.
The 20-second pitch clock has been in effect in the minor leagues for the last few years. I have asked many of the Pirates’ younger pitchers about the impact of a clock. All have said they believe it would rarely come into play at the major-league level.
