NEW YORK._ Major League Baseball y the MLB Players Association held a negotiating session Thursday, picking up talks (via Zoom) in an effort to move toward a labor agreement.
It was expected that MLB – that spurred the meeting – presented a new proposal on economic and competitive issues that would address the concerns of the players. It is the first such meeting between the two parties since the strike began on December 2.
The two parties had met to discuss other matters in the weeks after the strike, but no economic issues had been discussed.
On December 1, MLB made a proposal that the union rejected, leaving the table set for the start of the strike that began in the early hours of the next day. The league has been working on various proposals that will pave the way for a deal, according to one source, that are based on concessions that have already been put on the table.
Among them are the Draft lottery, which would help to discourage losing on purpose in search of a better seed in the Draft amateur, the elimination of the qualified offers system, the universal designated hitter and an increase in the minimum wage for the youngest players.
The Players Association has been seeking higher material gains, including changes to free agency, Super 2 eligibility, and revenue sharing.
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