After MLB and the Players Association failed to come up with a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the nine crazy days of endless negotiations, league representatives going to the players’ side, and union lawyers going to the owners’ side, have ended.
The meetings in Florida are now a thing of the past, as everybody went home.
MLB Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem and chief union negotiator Bruce Meyer met for an hour and a half on Thursday in New York, but it was an informal talk and no offers were exchanged.
There is no more frenzy, but there should be a sense of urgency because more MLB games could be cancelled, other than the two series that have been already called off.
Now, an endurance contest will likely begin: each side will play with the other’s desperation.
Players won’t earn a penny until the season starts: some of the highest-paid players are losing hundreds of thousands of dollars per day.
Lost Money Hurts Owners Too
However, owners lose money, as well.
And yes, they do have a lot of money, but they want all they can get.
“Of course, its at the expense of paychecks but just like owners might get a better deal when players feel the pain of losing money, perhaps the players believe the same. Point is strategy can work both ways,” ESPN’s Jesse Rogers said via Twitter.
Of course, its at the expense of paychecks but just like owners might get a better deal when players feel the pain of losing money, perhaps the players believe the same. Point is strategy can work both ways.
2/ end
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) March 3, 2022
The lost revenue will likely start hitting owners eventually, so it could be a matter of which side can take it for longer.
Remember, players are fighting for better opportunities for themselves and also for young generations, trying to set certain standards for pay and competitiveness.
According to several players, like Francisco Lindor and Andrew Miller, they are prepared to lose games, although it’s not clear how many.
Rogers also said that “if owners are willing to miss April, we know they want May, June, etc when fans come out. If players know that, wouldn’t it behoove them to sit out long enough to scare the league into believing the summer is in jeopardy?”
Owners are unlikely to be prepared to miss the summer.
This could get ugly for fans: stay tuned.
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