According to the Associated Press in New York, the Major Leagues limited the number of visits to the mound in an effort to accelerate the pace of play, but ruled out restricting the time between releases by 201 seconds to 2018. After more than a year of negotiations, the union of players of the majors refused to accept the changes, but signed an agreement in which it ensures that it will not oppose the new rules.
In order to mitigate players' concerns about signal theft, Major League Baseball will install new phone lines from dugouts to video review rooms. The league indicated that the lines will be monitored, and a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press that all conversations carried out through those lines will be recorded. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the details have not been announced.
"I am happy that we can reach a point of agreement with the players' union," said Commissioner Rob Manfred in a statement. "My greatest preference is to continue to maintain a dialogue with the players on this issue in order to find mutually acceptable solutions." Source: www.mlb.com.
My opinion
These new rules include a total limit of six visits to the mound in a nine-inning game without a change of pitcher, either from the manager, coaches or other players. Accompanied by the strike zone, and the rule implemented in 2017, the base by intentional ball without pitches to the home.
All this has been studied by the management of the MLB to attract more attention from the public and make it attractive, decreasing the duration of game hours. This time I will quote the countryman Oswaldo Guillén"who likes the ball, likes the ball", there is no greater truth than that if you like a baseball game you will see it until it ends whatever its duration.
The tickets to visit the pitcher should not be controlled, each manager has his own game mode that is previously studied plus the one that analyzes when the game is in progress; all that will depend on how the pitcher behaves and would make a decision, not those that the limitation of visits force you to see the game from another perspective.
The umpire studies as a career or course participation as a judge in the game. The zone of Strike depends on a square rectangle formed invisibly between the corners of the home and the height of the chest of the receiver. Increasing the strike zone would not be feasible, since the batter would be desperate to hit, since the area is more enlarged and avoids the worry that the umpire will take it out, for a pitch that is not within the true zone of strike
As well as these rules, there is a receiver rule that should not block the home that was implanted years ago. All this takes away the essential and original part of those we know from baseball, all for greater profits and marketing. As a recommendation, the players' union should put more pressure on these rules because if they continue to impose what we know as baseball will change radically.