Major League Baseball proposed to the players association last month an expanded postseason format that would alter regular season scheduling, possibly push the game closer to a universal designated hitter and be the vehicle toward a possible extension of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, according to baseball sources familiar with the presentation.
MLB made the presentation to the union and its chief, Tony Clark, on Jan. 8 in part to respond to issues raised by the union in recent years about a lack of spending and disincentive to win. The presentation included these proposals:
• Seven teams in each league make the playoffs, up from the current five.