MLB Rumors: Players' Reaction to Owners' CBA Proposal 'Was Not Positive'

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TheRobGoldberg featured Columnist IV is January 13, 2022.

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

The MLB players association and team owners are in talks about a new labor deal.

The latest update was provided by Jeff Passan.

Jeff Passan is a friend of mine.
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There is no deal for baseball labor. There was never going to be one today. MLB made a proposal. The players were not positive. Few on either side expected it to happen. The question is when the MLBPA will counter. Spring training is in danger.
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Jon Heyman provided more information about the offer from MLB.

Jon Heyman is a friend of mine.
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The minimum salary for younger players was raised by MLB. The union saw the offer as disappointing. There is no word on a counter. Fortunately there is still time to go.
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Other proposals were also discussed.

Susan Slusser is the person.
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It seems ok for both sides, unless you tie it to something else as a bargaining chip.
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Ben Nicholson-Smith is a writer.
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The MLB offer to players included 14 teams in the playoffs.
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That's the players' biggest bargaining chip, owners want expanded playoffs.

The two sides couldn't agree on a new collective bargaining agreement before the previous one expired, which led to the start of the MLB Lockout.

The year is supposed to start on time, but the disagreements could prevent that from happening. The regular season is scheduled to start on March 31.

The two sides agreed to a video conference meeting on Thursday, after having limited official communication since the initial lockout. Evan Drellich of The Athletic said that it was the first discussion focused on core economics since December.

The biggest question mark in this holdout is economics, and there had been proposals from both sides over the past month. There is a lack of competitive balance due to payroll disparity.
The New York Mets are projected to have a payroll of $236 million, while the Cleveland Guardians are projected to have a payroll of $29 million.
The players want to see a salary floor that forces owners to put more money into their teams.

Passan and Jesse Rodgers explained that the players see how the game's levers encourage teams to lose. The owners of low-revenue businesses believe that the less restrictions on payroll the less likely they are to be competitive.

The two sides are still far apart on these issues.