Friday Newsletter time: A lot to unpack from the Rob Manfred press conference, beginning with dumping the qualifying offer

A new way of awarding draft pick compensation in a new CBA likely wouldn't go into effect until next offseason.

Rob Manfred talked about the lockout at the owners meetings in Florida, where he said some good things and some curious things (The Associated Press/John Raoux).

Among the many things said Thursday by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred to reporters at the owners meetings in Florida is that owners have agreed to do away with the qualifying offer in the new collective bargaining agreement.

Players absolutely hate the qualifying offer, which when attached to free agents would cost teams draft picks to sign them. Teams became hesitant to do so.

So, very clearly, the union would be open to that concession from ownership. However, there are no concrete details on if the players are willing to accept how the owners have proposed to restructure draft-pick compensation.

Owners would reward teams draft picks for losing free agents based on the players’ value. The union could balk at how that value is determined and, as MLB Trade Rumors reported, also potentially be concerned that teams will be incentivized to not re-sign their own free agents.

Darn it.

It seems like this issue should be a win for the players. But when would it take effect?

The guess here is next offseason. It would seem unfair to players and owners for qualifying offers to not continue through this offseason.

Multiple players with compensation attached signed before the lockout, including Corey Seager and Marcus Semien with the Texas Rangers. Would other teams have been involved had they not had a qualifying offer attached, thus creating more competition and more dollars?

On the club side, the Rangers surrendered their second- and third-round picks by signing Seager and Semien. If the new form of compensation were to be enacted immediately in the new CBA, would they get those picks back?

One thing they would get would be the ability to pursue the remaining free agents who did receive a qualifying offer. Nick Castellanos would look good in left field, wouldn’t he?

That possibility would fire up the fans, at least.

Just don’t bet on it. This has next offeseason written all over it.

One thing that can take immediate effect is the universal DH, which Manfred said owners have also agreed upon. This, too, seems like something that wouldn’t be an issue with the players.

There are pitchers who enjoy hitting, like Madison Bumgarner, but they are in a very small minority. National League pitchers will see their ERAs go up, so that is probably most upsetting to them.

But it’s good for their health, creates more playing time for hitters, and generates more excitement in each game.

Say what?

Manfred said some other things, which seem a little bit removed from reality or, more likely, were geared toward swaying public opinion.

First up was his declaration that the start of spring training is on as scheduled for next week … for now … and that it will be reassessed Saturday during the owners’ meeting with the union.

Spring training is not going to start on time and he knows it, but by waiting until Saturday he can say that the owners and players agreed to a delay.

Don’t buy it.

Here’s another: Manfred claims that MLB asked an investment expert to look into whether owning an MLB team was a good investment.

"If you look at the purchase price of franchises, the cash that's put in during the period of ownership and then what they've sold for, historically, the return on those investments is below what you get in the stock market — what you expect to get in the stock market — with a lot more risk."

Jeff Passan with ESPN then wrote that MLB franchise values have grown at nearly twice the rate of the S&P 500 over the past 20 years, according to market data service Statista.

Oof.

Manfred also had a theory for the way his image, what’s left of it, has cratered during the lockout. It’s all tactical, he said.

Why, he’s just as swell as ever since he started working for MLB.

"In the history of baseball, the only person who has made a labor agreement without a dispute — and I did four of them — was me," he said. "Somehow during those four negotiations, players and union representatives figured out a way to trust me enough to make a deal. I'm the same person today as I was in 1998."

Anyone who has read Baseball Cop probably has some questions about that.

The last one: Manfred said he is optimistic baseball will not lose any games this season, and that to do so was be a disaster.

He’s right about that.

Card of the Week

The week Davis Wendzel was on the Texas Rangers Baseball Podcast, the Card of the Week was of Evan Carter. He had been on the podcast a week earlier.

My timing is all out of whack, I know, but I said then I would get a Wendzel card and feature it. It just felt like the right thing to do.

Of course, if I keep this up, I might go bankrupt. Maybe this will just be a one-time thing.

Anyhoo, the Card of the Week this week, albeit delayed by a few weeks, is Wendzel’s 2019 Bowman Chrome auto.

It’s a pretty sharp card that captures the beard really well.

Wendzel rates as one of my favorite guests so far on the podcast, which is off this week but plans to return next week.

Doggy video!

Jumping to the weekend like … . Enjoy. See you Monday.

Heckin Good Dogs @HeckinGoodDogs

When you can't wait to hit the beach