ABS<\/a>) is finally making its long-awaited and highly-anticipated MLB debut this year.<\/p>\nTeams begin each game with two challenges apiece, to be used by the batter, pitcher or catcher. Said parties must challenge immediately after the umpire\u2019s call, and must signal by tapping their cap or batting helmet. The call will then be reviewed, and simultaneously shown on the broadcast and ballpark video boards.<\/p>\n
If the umpire\u2019s call is upheld by ABS, the team loses its challenge. Successful challenges are retained.<\/p>\n
If a team is out of challenges and their game goes into extra innings, they receive an additional challenge at the beginning of the 10th inning. Teams are given one challenge each extra inning, providing they enter it without any remaining.<\/p>\n
In order to customize the strike zone to each batter\u2019s unique height, all position players will be measured, \u201cstanding straight up without cleats\u201d according to MLB.com, at spring training.<\/p>\n
Red Sox free agents<\/p>\n
RHP Sonny Gray ($30 million mutual option)<\/p>\n
LHP Aroldis Chapman ($13 million vesting option)<\/p>\n
LHP Patrick Sandoval<\/p>\n
RHP Garrett Whitlock ($8.3 million club option)<\/p>\n
Road block ahead<\/p>\n
The current collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the players\u2019 association expires Dec. 1, 2026.<\/p>\n
When the last one expired on Dec. 1, 2021, the league locked out the players for 99 days, shutting down all offseason trades and free agency as the two sides battled through fraught negotiations.<\/p>\n
The two sides held a preliminary meeting in the fall of \u201825 and will likely ramp up during spring training. The expectation, however, is that MLB is headed for another work stoppage, especially if the league decides to make another attempt at implementing a salary cap, a non-starter with the vehemently-opposed players.<\/p>\n
Further complicating the looming expiration date is the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office\u2019s investigation into MLBPA finances and the union\u2019s executive director Tony Clark. It could have a significant impact on the CBA negotiations.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Happy new year! With 2025 officially in the rearview mirror, it\u2019s time for a clean slate of Major…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":384865,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[558],"tags":[64,63,5156,591,206757,85],"class_list":["post-384864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-boston-red-sox","tag-mlb","tag-red-sox-spring-training","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=384864"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384864\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/384865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=384864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=384864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=384864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Boston](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP24107850392084.jpg\")
Boston Red Sox starter Garrett Whitlock delivers a pitch to a Cleveland batter during first-inning action at Fenway Park last April. (AP Photo\/Steven Senne)