On Tuesday, the owners of the MLBthe representatives of the Players Association of the MLB and the league met once again in Jupiter, Florida, in an effort to end the owner-implemented lockout that brought Major League Baseball to a halt on Dec. 2.
The session marked the second straight day of intense negotiations, in contrast to what unfolded immediately after the lockout began, when it took 43 days for owners to come up with a proposal on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). .
The two sides remain far apart on what are known as the “core economic issues.” Those core economic issues include the minimum wage, the competitive break-even tax (CBT, also known as the payroll luxury tax), the structure of salary arbitration, the size of a pre-arbitration player bonus pool, and the sharing from income. Very few negotiations have taken place on CBT, which means that it may eventually present itself as the final hurdle. Recent questions from owners when it comes to modifying the CBT suggest they’re trying to position it as a de facto salary cap.
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MLB has said that February 28 is the latest they can agree to a new CBA without delaying Opening Day (currently scheduled for March 31), although it is possible that MLBPA don’t agree. Trading sessions are expected to take place every day this week.
Monday’s meeting was the longest of the walkout to date. The two sides reportedly met for close to five hours, although much of that time was spent in separate rooms formulating proposals, which is common during negotiating sessions. The time you meet is not as important as what is said during the meeting. As a last resort, MLB offered only slight adjustments to its most recent proposal.
Yahoo’s Hannah Keyser adds that players are still proposing a $775,000 minimum salary for the first year, but now with a $30,000 raise for both the second and third.
Furthermore, Keyser et al. report that MLB he proposed a second time to bring in a federal mediator to advance discussions, and the players refused a second time based on their preference to continue direct negotiations with the league.
Tuesday’s set of player proposals responds to what the owners offered on Monday. Here’s a rundown of what the owners reportedly offered to kick off the week:
Increase the pre-arbitration player bonus pool to $20 million. MLB It previously offered $15 million for the top 30 players. The MLBPA is seeking a $115 million bonus pool to split among the top 150 players.
Lottery draw for the four best selections. MLB it previously offered a lottery for only the top three picks. The union wants the top eight picks to be decided by lottery.
There are no changes to the previous luxury tax proposal. MLB is offering a small tax increase with much harsher penalties. The MLBPA seeks to raise the threshold from US$210 million to US$245 million. More on that here.
He rescinded his request to control the total number of minor league teams, as well as his offer to limit options to five times a season, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
According to all indications on the side of the MLBthe 2022 offseason will not resume, and spring training will not begin, until a new collective bargaining agreement is in place, at least conditionally. MLB he could lift the lockout at any time, allowing baseball to resume under the terms of the old collective bargaining agreement, but the league has shown no willingness to do so.
According to Evan Drellich of The Athletic, the two sides will meet again on Wednesday, as expected.
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