Last weekend, we were all hopeful, judging by the tone of negotiations, that MLB would finally make some serious offers to the Players Association.
They announced they would meet every day starting this week, which was obviously encouraging.
However, the week has been a total failure: no real progress has been reported, and owners are still showing the same inflexible stance they showed all winter and spring.
The only takeaway from this week is the following: the league is asking for more than it is willing to give.
It’s that simple.
NBC Sports Edge’s Matthew Pouliot tweeted what each side is offering.
What MLBPA is offering MLB:
– The restoration of a luxury tax that has officially sunset.
– Expanded playoffs ($100 million annually?)
– Patches on uniformsWhat MLB is offering MLBPA:
– A minimum salary increase barely keeping pace with inflation.— Matthew Pouliot (@matthewpouliot) February 24, 2022
“What MLBPA is offering MLB: The restoration of a luxury tax that has officially sunset. Expanded playoffs ($100 million annually?). Patches on uniforms. What MLB is offering MLBPA: A minimum salary increase barely keeping pace with inflation,” he said.
In fact, MLB’s latest offer for a minimum salary was $640,000 for 2022, then increasing by $10,000 per year until reaching $680,000 in 2026, the final year of the hypothetical collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
The Minimum Salary Is A Huge Part Of The New CBA
The minimum salary is awfully important in negotiations because well over half of the player universe in 2022 will make the league minimum.
The players said they want the minimum salary to start at $775,000 in 2022, so it’s evident that both sides are still worlds apart.
By now, it’s becoming increasingly clear that both sides won’t have a deal in place before Monday’s deadline.
The league imposed that date, February 28 (Monday), as the one both sides needed to have a deal by before the possibility of losing regular season games really kicked in.
Additionally, owners are unwilling to reschedule any lost games, resulting in a payment loss for players.
Things are at a stalemate, so don’t hold your breath if you are hoping for a quick deal.
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