In addition to being recognized as the best dinger deliverer in Major League Baseball, players will reportedly have an added incentive to step up to the plate in the Home Run Derby this year.
As part of a new agreement MLB and the MLB Players Association are set to announce Thursday, baseball will give out a $1 million prize to the winner of the annual event at the All-Star break.
The $1 million prize for the winner will be taken out of a $2.5-million prize pool for the event overall. That money should incentivize even the game’s biggest stars to participate as well as give lower-paid players a chance to supplement their earnings with extra cash.
Besides the change in the Home Run Derby, baseball is also expected to announce there will now be a single non-waiver trade deadline, set for July 31. That means August trades will be eliminated, forcing teams to be more aggressive earlier in the season.
Also, starting in 2020, there will be a three-batter minimum for pitchers and as well as some additional new roster rules.
How long all those rules remain in place is uncertain as they could be renegotiated when the current labor deal between the league and the players expires in December 2021.
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