Morning Mound Visit: sabermetrics news - 2/19/19

FanGraphs | Sheryl Ring: We hear a lot about possible owner collusion, but what about players? If, say, Manny Machado and Bryce Harper agreed not to sign unless either one was above $300 million, would that be collusion? In fact, it isn’t. There are no rules against it in the CBA, and teams can not issue punishments even if it was discovered. But if agents engage in it, then it could cause them to lose their agency certifications due to breach of fiduciary responsibility.

The Athletic | Eno Sarris ($): Ever think you could play better than a bad big leaguer? Well, think again. While some of the writers might be faster than Albert Pujols, for example, they can not both run, throw, and hit as hard as the players we watch every day, even if they look “bad.”

ESPN Insider | Buster Olney ($): Aaron Nola, Luis Severino, and Max Kepler signed early deals, likely in part due to fears of a strike, so what other players could follow suit? Matt Chapman, Joey Wendle, Trevor Story, and George Springer are all possible players who could grab that early extension.