MLB teams, through analytics, are smarter and spending more wisely. That has squeezed out the middle class of players, and could lead to the sport's first work stoppage since 1994-95.
Pitchers and catchers report in 10 days, which should be the most joyous declaration of the baseball offseason.
Yet this has been a troubled winter for the sport. I’ve rarely seen such a lack of positive momentum heading into spring training. Maybe that’s because the team nearest to us, the Mariners, joined the torrent of MLB ballclubs opting to step back from a spirited push toward contention.