MLB Is Finally Having A Conversation

MLB fans have been waiting over a month to get any update on the ongoing lockout.

Are the two sides even talking?

Will games be canceled?

There are so many questions and updates have been few and far between.

That changed Tuesday as ESPN’s Jeff Passan revealed a real update on the negotiations.

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association plan to hold a bargaining session Thursday, sources tell ESPN. MLB is expected to make a core-economics proposal at the session, which would be the first between the sides since the league locked out the players on Dec. 2.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 11, 2022

Passan is reporting that the MLB and the MLBPA are set to talk Thursday.

The league is reportedly showing up with a proposal, while the players will likely have their own as well.

Unfortunately, this update does not provide much hope to fans that anything will get done.

MLB Dragging Its Feet

Why has it taken so long just to have a meeting?

MLB fans have a right to be upset because spring training is about a month away and it’s possible this Thursday meeting does not last very long.

That is what happened before the lockout when the sides met up, shared their differences, and headed into a no man’s land of being far apart on major points.

MLB has indeed scheduled Thursday to make a new core economics proposal to the MLBPA, as @JeffPassan just said. To be the first core economic talks since lockout began. Video meeting.

— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) January 11, 2022

The unfortunate truth is that each side is likely going to wait until the last second, hoping the other caves on certain points.

Fans are the ultimate losers in that scenario as it could mean games are affected over these grievances.

The only positive here, while still frustrating, is the fact the two sides are meeting.

That at least serves as a new starting point, even if it has taken far too long already.

Fans of every professional sport have seen this exact scenario play out before.

Baseball fans may just be a bit more scarred considering the 1994 World Series was canceled over labor negotiations.

Most recently, the 2020 season took way too long to get started as the two sides figured out pay for the pandemic-shortened season.

Any missed games in 2022 could have some fans reaching their breaking point.