MLB Owners, Union Reach New Labor Deal

After two days and nights of sleepless negotiations, Major League Baseball’s team owners and players’ union reached a new five-year labor deal late Wednesday evening. While the league has yet to reveal the full details of the pact, which effectively averted a lockout at next week’s winter meetings, sources told ESPN and the Associated Press that some of the major portions include: the granting of World Series home-field advantage to the pennant winner with the better regular-season record; the lengthening of the season to include more off-days, starting in 2018; a rise in the minimum salary for qualifying players; an increase in the luxury-tax threshold over the next few seasons; and a removal of the rule forcing teams who sign “premium” free agents to give up a first-round draft pick to the team losing that athlete.