Baseball

The shift ban explained: two infielders per side of second, on the dirt, no swapping – and the 2025 free-base penalty for violations.

How MLB breaks ties without tiebreaker games: the five-step formula, why Game 163 died in 2022, and why head-to-head record decides Octobers.

MLB’s position player pitching rules: the 8-run and 10-run thresholds, the extra-innings door, the two-way exemption and why the limits exist.

The three-batter minimum explained: the half-inning loophole, the injury exception, and how one rule erased the lefty specialist.

The posting system explained: the 45-day window, the sliding release fee, the under-25 amateur trap and the economics for all three parties.

Opt-out clauses explained: how players void guaranteed years, why clubs agree to the asymmetry, and the extension-or-exit endgames.

Club, player, mutual and vesting options explained: who decides, why buyouts matter more than stickers, and how options drive negotiations.

The MLB non-tender explained: the December deadline, why arb projections force cuts, the instant free agency and the bargain market it creates.

The MLB luxury tax explained: 2026’s $244M threshold, the 20-50% repeater ladder, surcharge tiers, AAV accounting and the reset-year game.

The qualifying offer explained: how the ~$21M number is set, the draft-pick strings, who’s exempt and why mid-tier free agents dread it.