How Red Sox could be impacted if MLB bans the shift
By Sean Penney
What potential restrictions on defensive shifts means for the Red Sox
The ongoing lockout preventing the Boston Red Sox from opening the major league portion of training camp remains in a stalemate. The sides are deadlocked after the latest round of negotiations failed to make much progress. While they appear to be far apart on several key issues, Evan Drellich of The Athletic reveals a noteworthy update: The MLBPA agreed to grant the league the ability to implement three on-field rule changes with a 45-day notice, beginning during the 2023 season. Those changes the owners have focused on include a pitch clock, larger bases and the banning of shifts.
MLB wants to speed up the game with a pitch clock but they also want to eliminate defensive shifts, which would increase offense and therefore prolong innings. At this point, the owners are simply looking for more topics to argue about with these counterintuitive demands.
As senseless as it may seem from the league’s side, the players showing a willingness to discuss these on-field changes could be a significant step. If the league is eager to implement these changes, the players hold a bargaining chip that could help close the gap on the core economic issues.
It’s far from a done deal but it’s becoming increasingly likely that we’ll see these changes by next year. While players should be able to seamlessly adapt to the pitch clock and larger bases, placing restrictions on defensive shifts will have a noticeable impact that will hinder certain teams more than others.