Players' union preparing written response to MLB's last CBA offer, sources say

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Sources familiar with the union's plans told ESPN that officials from the Major League Baseball Players Association are preparing a written response to MLB's last offer on a new collective bargaining agreement that preceded the league canceling the first week of the regular season.

When the sides will next meet is unknown, and the MLBPA will need the approval of player leaders before bringing any parameters on a potential deal to the league after rejecting its proposal Tuesday afternoon.

The last time the sides met was Tuesday, when Commissioner Rob Manfred officially canceled the first two series of the season. If a deal isn't reached quickly, the league could cancel more games if it doesn't get four weeks of spring training before the season starts. Spring training games were canceled on Friday.

The league asked the union to give it a document that outlines its proposals during a Thursday meeting that included deputy commissioner Dan Halem and Bruce Meyer. The sides could not reach a deal because they were far apart on the issues.

The luxury tax is the sticking point in negotiations. In its last proposal, the union requested a first-year threshold of $238 million that would grow to $263 million in the fifth year. The league wanted the threshold to start at $220 million, stay there for three years and end up at $230 million. The proposed bonus pool for players who have yet to reach salary arbitration is less than the owners'.

The players agreed to expand the playoffs from 10 to 12 teams, but only if there is a unique provision in the wild card series. The players propose using a game in hand or ghost win, in which a division winner in a three-game wild card series would start the series with a win.

The sides returned home with no deal after the Florida sessions, despite the disappointment of games lost and the possibility of spring training quickly disappearing. The union and league have spent months trading proposals but have not been able to come to an agreement.

At the end of the 1994 World Series, MLB last missed a game. The last time a scheduled opening day was lost was 1990 when the sides agreed on a deal. The season was delayed and 162 games were played.