Africa-Press – Gambia. For the second straight day, representatives for the the players and MLB met to discuss the Collective Bargaining Agreement and the lockout, and for the second straight day it was … not horrible?
Just like yesterday, I don’t want to sugarcoat things: everything that is positive right now is positive only by virtue of how rough things have been/have been expected to be. Thus, any talks that take place where there is even a small bit of movement on substantive economic issues is a good sign.
That seems to have been the case today, with a small bit of movement on substantive economic issues:
MLB proposed today to raise the minimum salary for players with 0 to 1 year of service time to $615,000. Previously had proposed $600,000. No change to 1-2 years (650k) or 2-3 (700). MLB also withdrew its proposals to eliminate salary arbitration for any group
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) January 25, 2022
MLB is dropping its proposals to change arbitration and end Super Two, per a person familiar with today’s proposal. Have also agreed to union’s idea of a bonus pool, funded by central revenue, to reward players with less than three years service time who win awards, hit WAR marks
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) January 25, 2022
There is no deal today. There never was going to be a deal today.
The takeaway: A pre-arb bonus pool gets the best young players paid more. Players wanted it, and it’s a good thing for them. Players are laughing at the $10M offer. It’s far too low. Negotiations will change that.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 25, 2022
This applies to many issues. The parties aren’t close on just about anything when it comes to core economics. But the point is there has been movement. Small movements, but movement. It’s a start. https://t.co/F4bSqSr8a4
— Jared Diamond (@jareddiamond) January 25, 2022
There will undoubtedly be more trickling out as the day goes on, so I don’t want to drill down TOO much on the particulars right now. Like the other writers noted, that there was any movement at all is today’s good sign, even if the sides remain very far apart. You have to chip away before you can get close to a deal, so this is all a start.
Open questions: when will other key items like the luxury tax level and its penalties open up? Because that’s perhaps the biggest item of all. And will the sides meet again this week? What are the next steps from here? Is the goal actually even to have a normal Spring Training, or are the sides already resigned to a timeline that has them not reaching a deal until late February at the earliest?
More soon.
UPDATE: Ok, good, good, yes, another meeting this week would be very good, even if not on the core economics, because all that stuff has to be knocked off the list, too:
MLB and the union are expected to meet again soon, perhaps later this week, to at least discuss non-core economic issues.
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