MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement expires soon

How did Thanksgiving go? Anyone manage to steer clear of those fateful dinnertime arguments? How many notches did you have to go up on your belt after the feasting? Need some baseball to recover? Look no further, friend! You’ve come to the right place.

Talks progress for MLB, union with lockout deadline looming | ESPN

We should know by this time next week whether or not the longest continuous labor peace in MLB history will continue or not. As we get closer to the December 1 deadline, there are more talks about whether the league could (or should) consider locking out the players in order to get what they want out of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. It could be all sound and fury signifying nothing but even if it isn’t, it’s unlikely games would be impacted, or even anything more than a delay to the free agency market getting cranking.

A lockout also could harden positions on both sides, and could cast a pall over a sport that was hoping to capitalize on the momentum of an epic postseason that produced the highest World Series ratings in a decade and a half. As the pressure to avoid that lockout mounted this week, the two sides appear to have reached what one source described as "that moment of truth, when people realize the clock is ticking down and you've got to compromise" to unravel the logjam.

In other words, it would be pretty stupid for baseball to take all this good will toward the sport and make people talk about baseball in terms of labor stoppages and lockouts instead of the games on the field.

It now seems like we are likely to see major changes in roster sizes next year. The Players want to keep some sort of expanded roster system, since it means valuable major league service time for younger players, but the usual 40-man rosters seen during crucial September games will likely come to an end.

Hall of Fame: First look at 2017 ballot | SI.com

It's Hall of Fame season! Jay Jaffe provides an explanation of his JAWS system for measuring Hall of Fame deservedness and likelihood, and he answers some important questions heading in to the upcoming vote. Larry Walker will be in his sixth year of eligibility. While we'll write more about Walker and the Hall of Fame in the coming month.

Two other players with Rockies associations are on the ballot for the first time this year. Melvin Mora spent his age 38-season with the Rockies, and Casey Blake signed as a free agent with the Rockies in December 2011; he was released in March 2012.

Can YOU name the heaviest Rockies players? | Sporcle Quiz

Get ready to gain all that holiday weight!