CLEVELAND -- This summer, Cleveland will play host to the MLB All-Star Game.
And it appears the league will be debuting a brand new format to choose which stars will be making up the starting lineup at Progressive Field.
Although their current collective bargaining agreement isn't set to expire until 2021, the league and its Players Association appear to quickly be moving toward a ratified agreement. According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, a part of the league's updated CBA will include an overhaul approach to All-Star Game voting, which will take effect in the 2019 season.
While traditionally, the starters in the "Midsummer Classic" have been chosen via a months-long fan vote, under the proposed plan, that vote will now be used to select three finalists at each position on the ballot. From there, the top-three vote-getters will be put on a ballot, with fans taking part in a final 'Election Day' to determine the All-Star Game starting lineups for both leagues.
Per Passan: "The parties see Election Day as an opportunity to better engage fans and bring more excitement to the All-Star voting process -- and encourage an uptick in social media activity surrounding the game."
In addition to its new All-Star format, the MLB and the Players Association are discussing an increase in prize money for the Home Run Derby in hopes of attracting some of the league's bigger stars.
According to Passan, the two sides have also agreed upon an expansion of rosters to 26 players with a 13-pitcher limit as well as a three-batter-minimum rule for pitchers to be implemented in 2020. Both parties have also committed to discussing "more complicated economic issues," including free agency, before the current CBA expires in December 2021.
The 2019 MLB All-Star Game will be held at Progressive Field on July 9, with the Home Run Derby taking place on July 8.