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 Any formal rule change would have to be approved by baseball's
playing rules committee. Yahoo reported the committee will monitor
the strike zone this season and potentially look to implement
changes in 2016 at the earliest.
Offense has been on the decline in recent years and strikeouts are
at an all-time high.
Over the past five seasons, the strike zone has expanded about 40
square inches, from 435 square inches in 2009 to 475 square inches
in 2014, according to research conducted by Hardball Times writer
Jon Roegele. The largest part of that expansion is in the lower area
of the strike zone, with umpires more frequently signaling strikes
for pitches below the kneecap.
The last time MLB changed the definition of the strike zone came
after the 1996 season, when the boundary for the bottom of the zone
was lowered from the top of the batter's knees to the bottom.
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The Cincinnati Reds and left-handed closer Aroldis Chapman avoided
arbitration Friday by agreeing to a one-year contract.
 Chapman reportedly will earn $8.05 million. He had filed for $8.7
million and the Reds had offered $6.65 million.
Chapman had a base salary of $5 million last season as part of the
six-year, $30.25 million contract he signed in January 2010
following his defection from Cuba.
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The Arizona Diamondbacks and right-handed closer Addison Reed
reportedly agreed to a one-year contract worth $4.875 million.
Reed filed for $5.6 million while the Diamondbacks offered $4.7
million. He earned $538,500 last year.
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Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson reportedly lost his
salary arbitration case and will receive $4.3 million in 2015.
Donaldson, heading into his first season in Toronto, was seeking
$5.75 million. He earned the $500,000 minimum last year playing for
Oakland and was eligible for arbitration for the first time.
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Miami Marlins right-hander David Phelps reportedly lost his
arbitration case and will make $1.4 million in 2015.
Phelps, who made $541,425 in 2014, had requested $1.875 million.
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The Kansas City Royals and right-handed closer Greg Holland avoided
salary arbitration when they agreed to an $8.25 million, one-year
contract.
Holland made $4.725 million last year and had asked for $9 million.
The Royals had offered $6.65 million. He is eligible for free agency
after the 2016 season.
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Atlanta Braves reliever Shae Simmons will miss the 2015 season after
undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Simmons was shut down for the remainder of the 2014 season in late
July due to a right shoulder strain. However, he experienced elbow
discomfort when he started his offseason throwing program in early
February, leading to an MRI exam that diagnosed a torn ulnar
collateral ligament, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
(Editing by Andrew Both)
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