MLB Unveils New Competition Committee

Four managers, two general managers and two Hall of Famers are among 16 people named to Major League Baseball’s revamped competition committee.

“The Competition Committee includes some of the best minds in our game, from a variety of positions and perspectives,” commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “The conversations with this group will be rooted in respect for the qualities that make baseball unique and a willingness to consider ways in which we can make the game even better.”

Only Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro remains from the 14-man panel formed by former commissioner Bud Selig in 2009.

The players are represented by Hall of Famers Robby Alomar and John Smoltz. The managers are Joe Girardi of the Yankees, Buck Showalter of the Orioles, Mike Matheny of the Cardinals and Dave Roberts of the Dodgers. The GMs are the Mets’ Sandy Alderson and Jerry Dipoto of the Mariners, and club presidents Theo Epstein (Cubs), Chris Antonetti (Indians) and David Samson (Marlins) are also part of the committee.

Other club executives include Pirates president Frank Coonelly, Rangers managing partner Ray Davis, Nationals principal owner Mark Lerner and Red Sox chairman Tom Werner.

The committee will be tasked with “studying all aspects of the game,” which could include more efforts to speed up the pace of the game.