Former Blue Jays Delgado, Kent on Hall of Fame’s contemporary baseball era ballot

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy were held over on the Hall of Fame's contemporary baseball era committee ballot and will be joined next month by former Toronto Blue Jays Carlos Delgado and Jeff Kent, along with Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela.

The 16-person committee meets Dec. 7 at the winter meetings in Orlando, Fla., and a 75 per cent vote is necessary for election. Anyone elected will be inducted on July 26, along with anyone chosen in the Baseball Writers' Association of America vote, announced on Jan. 20.

Albert Belle, Rafael Palmeiro and Curt Schilling were dropped after appearing on the previous contemporary era ballot in December 2022, when Fred McGriff was unanimously elected with 16 votes. Mattingly received eight, Schilling seven, Murphy six and Belle, Bonds, Clemens and Palmeiro less than four, the Hall said then.

The Hall in 2022 restructured its veterans’ committees for the third time in 12 years, setting up panels to consider the contemporary era from 1980 on, as well as the classic era. The contemporary baseball era holds separate ballots for players and another for managers, executives and umpires.

Each committee meets every three years. Contemporary managers, executives and umpires will be considered in December 2026, classic era candidates in December 2027 and contemporary era players again in December 2028.

The December 2027 ballot is the first chance for Pete Rose to appear on a Hall ballot after baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred decided in May that Rose's permanent suspension ended with his death in September 2024. The Hall prohibits anyone on the permanent ineligible list from appearing on a ballot.

Under a change announced by the Hall last March, any candidate on