MLB and the Players Association met on Thursday to discuss the owners’ last offer, which came on Saturday, and to talk about the union’s counterproposal.
The details, at this point, are scarce.
But the meeting has already ended, after 15 minutes, according to Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post.
It appears most of MLB’s squad has left the negotiations…after 15 minutes.
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) February 17, 2022
That’s obviously not a good sign.
Per Janes, the MLB squad left the meeting after just 15 minutes, which can’t possibly be taken as a positive.
There is a chance they heard what players had to say and they were in strong disagreement, so they saw no purpose in extending the negotiation.
It’s also possible that the MLB crew received the players’ counterproposal and took it home to debate it and come up with an answer at some point in the future.
Dialogue Is Not Fluid
In any case, it appears the situation is the same between the two sides: they are not close to coming to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), and the lockout is still in place.
It’s incredibly sad for fans who were hoping to have some good news on Thursday.
At this point, it’s quite likely that the start of the regular season is pushed back indefinitely, but both sides still have a handful of days to negotiate and bargain.
The problem is neither side seems to have any sense of urgency.
The meetings are few and far between, so they never gain momentum towards a deal.
They are just so far apart in their respective demands, and neither side appears willing to concede too much.
Fans, media, owners, players, coaches, managers, and everyone involved in the beautiful game of baseball has no choice but to keep waiting.
NEXT: MLB And The Players Seeking A Miracle On Thursday