The negotiations on the new labor deal aren’t completely finished, and not every detail has emerged. But there were no enormous shifts in principle in the labor negotiations, no foundation-altering changes, which, for some in the industry, only reinforced surprise that the two sides went down to the wire. The most important thing is that it got done, as Jayson Stark wrote.

But the tweaks and adjustments generated a ton of conversation in the industry Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, with officials, players and agents calling and texting and swapping thoughts.

1. The initial perception is that management got exactly what it wanted in the international market, even if the headline is different. Players didn’t like the idea of the international draft, because they believe it limits the opportunities and leverage for players in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and others. But the hard cap in spending will effectively do the same thing for the owners as the draft-slotting system in the domestic draft: contain costs.

And the union’s decision to embrace this concept is just the latest example of the Players Association bartering the rights of amateur players it doesn't represent in return for stuff more valuable for the union members it does represent. The Players Association did the same thing in agreeing to the current domestic-draft rules.

My own initial question about the hard cap on international spending is how MLB and the union will be able to police teams from making side deals to cheat the system -- paying off an agent or a handler on the side in order to agree to a lesser, cap-friendly bonus for a player.

2. The players are greatly pleased with the quality-of-life concessions built into the season, with more off days, more rules regarding travel, and more requirements in what teams must provide for the players on a day-to-day basis.

3. There was some surprise expressed that MLB negotiators were able to keep relatively tight curbs in place on spending through the competitive balance taxes. The higher the tax threshold, the better for the union, because teams aren’t penalized for spending as much, and the year-to-year increases in the threshold do not come close to reflecting the growth in revenues since the last agreement in 2011.

And the big spenders will face enormous taxes if they spend big -- up to 92 percent, in some circumstances. This will compel the Dodgers and Yankees to keep their payrolls in the same universe of the other teams.

(And the threshold rules demonstrate the acumen and foresight of Andrew Friedman and Brian Cashman, who both have worked to bolster the farm systems of their respective teams in recent years, and to make their organizations less reliant on free-agent signings. With the tougher taxes on the horizon for the big-market teams, the Yankees and Dodgers are well set up to adjust their spending while remaining competitive.)

4. The All-Star Game is no longer tied to home-field advantage in the World Series, as The Associated Press reported early this morning. Which is great news for future All-Star Game managers (like Terry Francona and Joe Maddon in 2017), because they no longer have to pretend the All-Star Game is anything more than a fun exhibition.

5. The AP also reported that the minimum DL stint was reduced from 15 days to 10, which reflects the improvements in medical treatments, and in the desire of teams to remain flexible in their roster management. It will be easier for teams to place a player on the DL knowing that the assignment could be shorter than in past years.

Joel Sherman writes about what the labor deal means.