MLB's Rob Manfred: Golden At-Bat Rule Change Was 'Very Preliminary Conversation'

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The potential golden at-bat rule may not be as far along as previously anticipated.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred revealed in November that there was "some buzz" about the aforementioned rule, which would allow teams to "send any hitter of their choosing to the plate, regardless of their spot in the batting order, once per game." He clarified those comments on Thursday, saying the discussions were "preliminary."

"It was a very preliminary conversation which did create some buzz," Manfred said, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN. "I do encourage the owners to have conversations about the game."

He also acknowledged that a rule like that would be years away and…