Rise and Phight: 12/2/2021

Now what?

MLB and the player’s union couldn’t agree to a new CBA, even into the wee hours of the night, so now the players have been locked out by the owners. It’s a shame, but it’s also to be expected. This isn’t the end of the world; it just looks bad is all. In the world of negotiations, this just means they’re going to keep negotiation, though probably not at the frantic pace we’ve seen these past few days. It’s likely that the lockout will only go on for a few months since both sides know what’s at stake as far as financials and perception among the fans. They absolutely cannot miss any games - spring training or regular season. So long as they get this done in time to keep both of those intact, everything will be fine. If nothing else, we’ll see another frenzy of free agent activity once again once the transaction freeze lifts, but for now, we talk about other things.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Corey Knebel hasn’t been promised the closer’s role, but you can be sure the team thinks he has a shot.
• Kris Bryant has now been linked to the Phillies, which would be a massive signing once the lockout is over.

MLB news:

• Prior to the lockout beginning, there were some moves to be made. The biggest one was Marcus Stroman committing to the Cubs.
• Mark Melancon was another option at closer for the Phillies to consider, but now he’ll pitch for the Diamondbacks.
• Rich Hill is headed back to the Red Sox, amazingly, on another one-year deal.
• Chris Taylor is staying with the Dodgers.
• It is funny how the teams that were not trying to win in the past have made the market what it is now. A sign of a salary floor being likely?