Jeff Passan says Major League Baseball is headed for another shortened season as the league will begin canceling games if a labor agreement isn't reached by Monday. The song is called "1:24."
With less than two days to reach a labor deal to save the season, players were unsure if they would break off talks.
The union was upset with the management response. The union staff was going to have a discussion with the players.
The players lowered their proposal for the luxury tax by $2 million per year, but the sides are far apart. The owners moved from $214 million to $215 million.
The base tax rate should be increased from 20% to 45%. The second rate was dropped from 25% to 17%.
The percentage of players with two to three years of major league service who would become eligible for salary arbitration was reduced by the union. The current 22% is not going to be moved by MLB.
The players withdrew their proposal to cut revenue sharing by $30 million annually but kept their plan to give small-market teams an incentive to spend. The union changed its proposal to have the incentive money come from central revenue, which it estimates would cost a large-market club no more than $1 million a year.
The playoffs would be expanded from 10 to 14 teams if the amateur draft lottery was tied.
The union wanted to limit optional assignments to five a year.
A committee comprised of six management officials, two union and one umpire can make in-field rules changes with 45 days notice. Management can only change rules with union consent or with one year notice.
The union is against an international draft.
The sides met for the sixth day in a row at Roger Dean Stadium, the former spring training home of the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals.
Free agent pitcher Andrew Miller, Mets pitcher Max Scherzer, Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole, and Mets catcher Francisco Lindor were among the players who were at the talks. Baseball has had nine work stoppages, the first since 1995.
The sides arrived at noon, an hour earlier than every previous session, and caucused for 2 1/2 hours. The union held a session for its players about 30 years ago.
If there isn't an agreement by the end of Monday, MLB will start canceling games because there won't be enough training time to play a full schedule.
After days of little progress, the sides neared an agreement Friday on an amateur draft lottery during negotiations that included a surprise one-on-one meeting between Commissioner Rob Manfred and union head Tony Clark.
MLB said it will not agree to a method of making up missed games that the players have suggested.
The length of the schedule would become an issue in the dispute once Monday passes.
If games are missed and salaries are lost, clubs should not expect players to agree to allow advertisements on uniforms and helmets, as the union has told MLB.
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