Even after the ball dropped and calendars flipped from 2021 to 2022, MLB and the players union remain locked in a stalemate.
ESPN insider Jeff Passan, speaking with over two dozen people involved in or familiar with the ongoing negotiations, reported Wednesday that the two sides haven’t met for five weeks — since a Dec. 1 meeting that lasted seven minutes.
In that Dec. 1 meeting, MLB tried to set the parameters of bargaining to core economics but conditionally. Very conditionally. They’d only debate on matters on the condition they don’t “include any changes to the six-year reserve period of free agency, the arbitration system or revenue sharing,” Passan reported. They wanted to discuss core economics, but not any of those core economics; the ones players care about.
Now, the union believes it’s the league’s turn to make an offer, but “the fallout of the failed discussions remains unresolved.”
The players’ wish list includes earlier free agency, earlier arbitration, a revamped draft system to reduce tanking, and a higher competitive balance tax to increase big market teams’ spending. The owners, meanwhile, are content with the status quo that has seen league revenues soaring and average salaries dipping.
Passan noted there’s no way the MLBPA wins every concession. That’s not how negotiations work. Thus, the breakthrough may come when the union decides which issues are most important to them between the competitive balance tax, getting players paid earlier in their careers, or competitive integrity.
And though Passan reported some players are mentally preparing for missed games, industry sources believe there’s a path to a deal. That could include a raised minimum salary and CBT; implementation of the universal designated hitter and an expanded playoff; a performance bonus for pre-arbitration players; removal of draft pick compensation for free agents and other draft-related tweaks designed to reward small markets.
New league parameters would likely need to get finalized before March 1 to avoid missing any regular season games. Every day without negotiations, and every week without a deal, is cause for growing concern. And a New Year without any negotiating resolutions won’t reassure anyone.
