LAS VEGAS — Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and contracts potentially worth one-third of a billion dollars were the hot topics at last week’s winter meetings.
But there was another debate brewing here that’s much more important to the future of baseball.
The Shift.
Major League Baseball’s competition committee recently gave Commissioner Rob Manfred a green light to explore ways to limit shifts. The reason: Manfred, and many others throughout baseball, believe the game’s slower pace and lack of action is hurting the product. The shift, they contend, is a major culprit.
“Eliminate (shifts). Do it now,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said.