Major League Baseball continues to look for his heartbeat with a new job offer

Major League Baseball is desperate for its heartbeat as irrelevance has sadly become a formidable opponent. While some may think the previous claim is an exaggeration for the dramatic effect, baseball faced several challenges well before Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. initiated a lockdown on behalf of the major league’s 30 ball clubs. Fans have been asked to trust the merits of implementing a lockdown in the middle of an off-season as a means of starting conversations on key economic issues. If Major League Baseball’s modus operandi was to emphasize urgency, why was there a 42-day hiatus in negotiations?

Manfred turned to the media after two and a half days of meetings with owners at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando. In addition to a couple of administrative positions on the board of directors, Manfred provided a list of topics discussed among the owners such as regional sports networks, field product and competition, experiments with rule changes at the minor league level, diversity, international strategic planning, and new commercial activities involving non-fungible tokens (NFTs). As each of these initiatives is critically important to the overall prosperity of the sport, the main focus of Manfred’s 24 minutes with the media was clearly on business negotiations and starting spring training.

Manfred firmly believes their proposal to the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) is far better in every respect than the recently expired collective agreement. He outlined several key points starting with the implementation of a draft lottery and universal designated hitter. Both sides agree on the importance of paying younger ball players by raising minimum wages and creating a bonus pool. To improve free will, owners are willing to drop the draft choice fee, but they also want to see an expanded postseason.

However, there is a reluctance to engage in any conversation regarding the MLBPA’s request to reduce revenue sharing. Manfred believes this approach will negatively impact competition by diverting resources from clubs that are already experiencing financial difficulties. He also stated how a federal mediator could help bridge the gap between the two sides even though the MLBPA rejected the request last week. Major League Baseball will present another proposal to the MLBPA on February 12th^th as Manfred reiterated there is no change to the start date of spring training.

Manfred demonstrated a myriad of emotions ranging from frustration to optimism. His experience of him in business negotiations has taught him to believe that you are always at a turning point from a deal and it only takes one move to create a new opportunity. The driving force behind the trade union struggle may be difficult to pin down in a fundamental question, but Manfred was not afraid to say that there was a discrepancy between rhetoric and proposals. The optimist in him truly believes a deal will be in place in time to play a regular season schedule. However, Manfred is also aware that losing regular season ball games could be disastrous for baseball.

When asked about the lack of trust in him and the owners expressed by several ball players on social media, it seemed that Manfred felt the need to stand up for his integrity as he touted over two decades of achievement in working relationships. While he’s not a Twitter expert, Manfred has a strong opinion on social media comments and claims they are purely tactical in nature. He was quick to point out that in the history of baseball there has only been one person who has gotten a job contract without controversy and that’s him. Manfred was proud to say he did this on four occasions.

The morale and welfare of fans have been severely damaged in the past two years due to the pandemic, unemployment, inflation, mental health, political and social unrest. If baseball is a social institution with social responsibilities according to Commissioner Emeritus Selig, wouldn’t the foundation for growth begin with an intimate understanding of how fans affect the future of the sport? An entire generation of fans are experiencing their first job stoppage in baseball and are witnessing how animosity and distrust are polluting a sport that is already in a weak position. Manfred has never addressed these issues, which is a cause for great concern.

While finances and competitive integrity are the headlines of most conversations, there is a need to take a closer look at the glacial pace of some ball clubs’ rebuilding process, as well as maximizing profits at the expense of the fan experience. Manipulation of serving time must be taken seriously given the frailty and timing of a professional athlete’s career. Essentially, there is a small window of opportunity and not all ball players will sign a free agent contract that provides a lifetime of financial security after six years of oversight by a major league-level ball club.

Creativity is an important and essential step to cultivate a new collective bargaining agreement. As the Major League Baseball Players Association is unveiled with another proposal this weekend, we hope it will spark an opportunity for meaningful partnerships. Confidence and positivity are of paramount importance at this stage of the negotiations, as both sides need to remember that baseball’s heartbeat begins with its fans.