Jeff Passan: Brewers-Rays World Series Won’t Head Off MLB Lockout
Passan also addressed the backlash he received to comments about the Dodgers.
Jeff Passan, ESPN MLB insider, spoke to Front Office Sports about the World Series matchup between the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays, and its potential impact on the looming MLB lockout. Passan believes that the small market World Series matchup will not help curtail or shorten the lockout, as both sides are deeply entrenched in their positions and unwilling to deviate from them.
The Rays, in particular, have a strong analytics department and utilize their scouts heavily, while the Brewers and Rays view data from both analytical models and traditional scouting as beneficial. Passan also discusses the Brewers' strategy of trading away expensive players near the end of their contracts to maximize value, which has led to criticism from fans.
The MLB and the Players Association have different interpretations of the current labor dispute, and the gap between the spending power of the larger-market teams and the lower-paying teams continues to widen, exacerbating the situation.
Written by urgent.news from Front Office Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
