MLB commissioner Rob Manfred addressed reporters on Thursday morning in Orlando, expressing confidence that the league and players union will come together to strike a deal and prevent any missed regular season games.
“I am an optimist, and I believe we will have an agreement in time to play our regular season schedule,” Manfred said. “If I hadn’t given consideration to what it would mean to miss games, I wouldn’t be doing my job. Obviously, I pay attention to that. I see missing games as a disastrous outcome for this industry. And we’re committed to making an agreement in an effort to avoid that.”
Manfred also announced that MLB agreed to the universal designated hitter rule. MLB also agreed to a Draft Lottery, Manfred said, but both sides have been negotiating the details of that proposed system throughout the lockout. Additionally, Manfred said the owners agreed to eliminate draft pick compensation in free agency, a reform that could lead to more player movement and freedom.
Most recently, MLB requested assistance of a federal mediator instead of making a counter offer to the MLBPA. The players union rejected the owners’ request, with some considering it a “publicity stunt.”
While Manfred said he was disappointed the mediator request went denied, he said MLB remains committed to offering solutions. The league will make a proposal on Saturday, he said.
“You’re always one breakthrough away from making an agreement,” Manfred said. “That’s the art of this process.”
The universal designated hitter rule was widely expected to become enacted even before the league locked the players out officially. The main issues at hand during the collective bargaining agreement negotiations have been core economics, not on-field rules. But for many fans, that change may be the most visible difference in pre-lockout and post-lockout baseball.
It wasn’t all good news for Manfred. The commissioner also accidentally mischaracterized the competitive balance tax and incorrectly stated that owning an MLB team has been less lucrative than investing in the stock market.
But the overall message, if taken at face value, was encouraging. Manfred said the status of spring training is unchanged as of now. Given pitchers and catchers are supposed to report on Feb. 15, that puts major pressure on Saturday’s offer. Manfred said four weeks of spring training could “make sense” for player safety, and that camps could open as soon as a few days after a CBA agreement.
