I thought Rob Manfred’s comments on legal gambling shows the plusses and minuses of the change. On the minus side, it appears players are being threatened:

Speaking hours before the All-Star Game, Manfred said he’s heard from players about threats they are receiving — though he didn’t get into specifics about them.

“If a player receives a threat from any source, on any topic, it is a matter of concern to us that we take really seriously,” Manfred stated. “I’ve had players in the last month mention this issue to me as one of concern and we’re discussing what we should do to be more proactive in this area.”

ESPN.com

I suspect this could be anything from a disgruntled bettor taking out his anger on a player who did something that caused the bettor to lose to more aggressive threats to throw a game or else. More legal gambling means there are more people in both these groups.

On the plus side, something I commented on when the recent suspensions came down:

Manfred is confident the league’s association with gambling entities is helping police their policies. Those companies report violations to the league which can lead to investigations being opened and stiff penalties assessed. Last month, San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano was banned for life for gambling a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates last season. Four other players received one-year suspensions.

ESPN.com

The legal bookies don’t want their business to suffer because they allowed individuals to bet against the rules of their league. It would be bad business for them to be at the center of some kind of game manipulation scandal.