Negotiations between MLB and the Players Association are reaching a crucial point: the deadline set by the league to finish a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is on Monday.
The league has said to the players that if they don’t reach a deal by that day, the MLB season likely won’t start on time and lost games would not be recouped.
It certainly puts some pressure on the players’ side to negotiate a pact before Monday, but they are not about to do things in a hurry and then feel bad for the deal they approve for four years.
They will make sure they get the best possible deal.
During this week’s sessions, the league has offered a slight increase in minimum salary, while the Players Association has lowered the proposed number of draft picks going to the lottery from eight to seven.
However, both sides keep ignoring a very important item in the conversations: the competitive balance tax (CBT).
ESPN insider Jeff Passan tweeted about that recently: “Today was the third consecutive day of bargaining, and neither the league nor the union has made a proposal on the competitive-balance tax, which is vital seeing as it is almost certainly going to determine whether opening day is March 31.”
THREAD: I’d like to talk about the CBT. Today was the third consecutive day of bargaining, and neither the league nor the union has made a proposal on the competitive-balance tax, which is vital seeing as it is almost certainly going to determine whether opening day is March 31.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 24, 2022
Nobody Wants To Talk About The Competitive Balance Tax
The CBT threshold, which was $210 million in 2021, is a sensitive subject.
Players want it to be a lot higher, but owners don’t want that because then teams will be able to spend more money on player contracts.
The penalties for teams exceeding the threshold are also a controversial subject in talks.
Per Passan, both sides are waiting for the other to make a “big move.”
The reporter explains the implications of the CBT and where both sides stand in a must-read thread.
Basically, players want teams to spend more and owners want the league to have a cap, and punish those who exceed it with a lot of money.
It’s something both sides will need to talk thoroughly this week.
But they choose to keep ignoring it.
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