Hey, it's Zack.
Welcome to the first issue of The Save.
Here is how this works. Each issue is built around three things. The Entrance sets the stage. The Delivery is where we get into it. The Save is what you take with you.
Some issues will go deep on one topic. Some will cover a few. This one covers a few because it's the first one and I want you to get a feel for what this newsletter is going to be.
Thanks for being here. Now let's get to it.
THE ENTRANCE
A month into the season and there is already plenty to talk about.
A new rule already having big impact on games.
The best team in baseball keeps getting better.
A labor battle is building in the background that could impact the 2027 season.
And a record breaking sale just blew up the owners favorite argument.
A lot is happening. Here is my take on all of it.
THE DELIVERY
The ABS Challenge System
The ABS challenge system is only a month old and it is already telling us something important.
You can tell very quickly which teams and which players actually understand the strike zone. The ones who do are using challenges well and winning them at a high rate. The ones who don't are burning challenges early and paying for it late.
Here is my opinion. You have to save a challenge for a critical moment in the ninth inning of a close game. Every ball or strike call is magnified in a tight late game situation. The pressure mounts for the hitter. It mounts for the pitcher. And it mounts for the umpire. Having a challenge available in that moment can make the difference. Losing it before you get there is a mistake that can’t be made.
I watched a game between the Orioles and Pirates early this season that said everything. Game tied in the ninth inning. A hitter uses their last challenge in the top of the ninth on a called third strike with nobody on and two outs. Not a game changing moment. Bottom of the ninth. One out. Runners on first and second. Closer on the mound. 2-2 count. Clear strike three called a ball. He tapped his hat to challenge. No challenges left. The Pirates walked it off on the very next pitch.
That game told me everything about how teams need to think about this system going forward.
I am sure there are more and better examples out there too.
I also have some concern about pitchers being the ones making the challenge decision in a high emotional state on the mound. That is a conversation worth having as the season goes on.
The teams that figure out the strategy behind challenges first are going to have a real competitive advantage. We are just starting to see who those teams are.
The Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the best team in baseball. Again. Pursuing their third consecutive World Series title.
Their roster is as deep and talented as any team I have seen. Their farm system is consistently ranked among the best in baseball despite the fact that they graduate talent to the big league roster every single year.
I have been in these rooms, heard owners talk about it. There is genuine frustration with what the Dodgers have built. Fans feel it too.
The Dodgers are carrying a $395.8 million payroll. The Miami Marlins have the lowest payroll in baseball at $77.3 million. That gap is hard to ignore. At some point you have to ask. Is that a Dodgers problem or a Marlins problem?
But here is the thing. The Dodgers are not just winning because they spend. They are winning because they develop. They are winning because they make smart decisions. They are winning because they have built something most organizations only talk about building.
And then there is the Ohtani roster rule. Shohei Ohtani carries a two way player designation which means he does not count against the Dodgers pitcher limit on their 26 man roster. In effect the Dodgers are carrying 14 pitchers while every other team carries 13. Cubs manager Craig Counsell called it bizarre. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said go find your own two way player.
This rule has been around since 2020. Not a Dodgers rule. Not an Ohtani rule. It was put in place because teams kept using position players to pitch in games they figured were already lost. Why burn an actual pitcher when you can throw a guy off the bench out there? The two way player exception was created for guys who can actually do both. Any team with a qualifying two way player gets the same benefit. Right now Ohtani is the only player in baseball who qualifies.
My take is this. Ohtani is an all time great. There is no debate there. The league wanted to protect what he brings to the game and I understand that. But MLB quietly changed the rule in 2024 so Ohtani could keep his status while recovering from elbow surgery. Nobody made a big deal about it then. They should have.
You can be frustrated with the Dodgers. A lot of people are. But you also have to respect what they have built.
Are they heading to their third consecutive World Series? It is hard to argue against it right now.
The CBA and What Is Coming
Pay attention to this one.
The current collective bargaining agreement expires December 1 2026. A lockout is widely expected. Not rumored. Expected.
This is not new. Owners locked players out heading into the 2022 season. The first two series of the regular season were cancelled before a deal was reached. Commissioner Rob Manfred has already called a lockout a positive for negotiations. MLB owners have reportedly set aside around 2 billion dollars as a war chest for a potential work stoppage.
I was one of eight players on the MLBPA executive board during that lockout. I have been in those negotiations. I know exactly what is coming.
Right now it is posturing. Both sides. That is normal. That is how every negotiation starts. The fall is when this gets real.
The central issue is a salary cap. Owners want one. Players are firmly opposed. The players see it for what it is. It is not about competitive balance. It is about controlling costs. There are other hot topics but that is for another issue.
Then the San Diego Padres agreed to sell their controlling interest for nearly four billion dollars. The timing could not be worse for the ownership side. Boras was my agent. I know how he thinks. When the Padres sale was announced he was one of the first to point out what it means for the CBA. A smaller market franchise going for that kind of money while owners prepare to argue they cannot afford to pay players. That number does not go away. Players will use it all winter.
I will have an entire issue dedicated to the CBA later this season. There is too much to cover in a few paragraphs. But pay attention to how this develops. An on time start to the 2027 season is not guaranteed.
One More Thing
One more thing. The Red Sox. A manager fired. An entire staff cleared out. A pattern with their best players that goes back years. I have thoughts. Lot of them. That is next issue.
THE SAVE
A month into the season and there is already plenty to talk about.
The game is as healthy as it has ever been financially. The Dodgers are not going anywhere. A new rule is already changing outcomes on the field. And a labor fight is coming this fall.
Some things are changing on the field. Some will at the negotiating table. All of it worth paying attention to.
That is why I started The Save. Here we can talk about all of it. No filter.
Talk soon, Z
The Save is a personal newsletter based on my own experiences, opinions, and recollections. The opinions expressed here are mine alone and do not represent any team, organization, union or employer past or present. When discussing players, contracts or organizational decisions I am sharing my perspective as a former player — not making legal or financial claims. When I share stories involving others I am telling them from my point of view. When I share tips or lessons I am sharing what worked for me. Always do your own research and consult professionals when making important decisions.