Mariners Moose Tracks, 2/17/22: Shed Long, Juan Soto, and Matt Harvey

Hello everyone and happy Thursday! Here’s what’s going on in the world of baseball.

In Mariners news...

• Shed Long has signed a minor league deal with the Orioles. We’ll miss you Shed!

• Mariners organizational hitting instructor Michael Fransoso spoke with Fangraphs’ David Laurila about his hitting philosophy.
• Two Mariners team store locations are closing up shop.

Around the league...

• MLB and the MLBPA are planning to meet this afternoon for further CBA negotiations. The players are planning to make an offer during the session. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes breaks down the major differences between the two sides’ offers to this point.
• Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic breaks down the MLBPA’s main goals for a new CBA and how he thinks they could achieve them. ($)
• Juan Soto reportedly rejected a 13-year $350 million deal from the Nationals prior to the lockout. It’s believed that Soto wants to become baseball’s first $500 million player. The deal the Nats offered is remarkably similar to the 14-year, $340 million deal that Fernando Tatis, Jr. agreed to last year.
• Travis Sawchik at The Score outlined how MLB’s latest proposal essentially turns the CBT into a salary cap.
• Matt Snyder at CBS Sports points out that the owners have the power to lift the lockout to allow spring training to start, but that they refuse to do it.
• Tim Dierkes at MLB Trade Rumors compares this lockout to previous work stoppages in Major League Baseball. He asserts that the issues the two sides are currently debating over are probably not strike-worthy, making the lockout itself a petty maneuver by the owners.
• Brittany Ghiroli at The Athletic spoke to a number of current and former minor leaguers about the financial struggles they experience with their jobs. ($)
• Matt Harvey is likely facing a 60-game suspension for distribution of opioids.