Getty Images
Major League Baseball submitted a new set of hypothetical collective bargaining proposals to the MLB Players Association via Zoom teleconference on Monday, and did so by setting a new deadline to avoid further regular season game cancellations. according to Evan Drellich of The Athletic. The last time limit set by the league will come sometime on Tuesday night.
Commissioner Rob Manfred canceled the first two episodes on the schedule last week as the owner’s deadline approached the third month, and he’s prepared to drop two more episodes if both parties can’t reach an agreement on a new Collective Agreement by the deadline.
In an interesting and predictable turn of events, the league has told the union that it sees Tuesday as the last chance for a 162-game season and for players to get both full pay and full time. As Drellich noted, none of these aspects can be dictated unilaterally, and each is the subject of further negotiations between the parties.
Please check the box to confirm that you would like to subscribe.
Thank you for registering!
Keep track of your mailbox.
I’m sorry!
An error occurred while processing your subscription.
The two episodes that Manfred canceled last week could be added to the end of the schedule if an agreement is reached on Tuesday. according to Bob Nightingale of USA Today. The chances that both sides will reach a new deal on Tuesday still look bleak. As Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweetedone player briefed on the league’s call was told that the options were still “tilted in favor of the league”.
The league increased its competitive balance sheet tax threshold proposal to $228 million. according to Drellich. The union demanded that he start at $238 million, but that’s the number the league would like to raise it to during the CBA. The league had previously proposed starting the CBA with a $220 million tax cap. Drellich notes that the league’s offer has “basic terms”.
As a reminder, here’s how things have stood since the union’s latest proposal on Sunday, which saw them back down on several issues, including the league’s ability to implement pitching hours, larger bases, and defensive positioning rules in 2023:
- The union lowered its request for a pre-arbitrage bonus fund from $85 million to $80 million. The owners previously offered a $30 million central fund, meaning the shortfall remains significant at $50 million.
- As mentioned above, the union has not backed down from its demand that the competitive balance tax start at $238 million and increase to $263 million. The league responded with a CBT threshold that starts at $220 million and gradually rises to $230 million. That changed on Monday, with the league climbing to $228 million at the start and $238 million at the end. It may have been the hottest issue in the talks, with four owners reportedly voting against the proposal based solely on the CBT threshold.
- The union also took no action on its request for a $725,000 increase in the league minimum wage, with a $20,000 annual increase. The league offered a minimum of $700,000, with an annual increase of $10,000.
- The union wants the draft lottery to select the top six candidates each summer as a deterrent to anti-competitive behavior. The league wants only the top five players to participate in this lottery.
On Sunday, a league spokesman released a statement saying the union’s proposal was a step backwards.