After all the long days without any news about the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), it appears that all MLB and the Players Association needed was a few hours under the same roof to actually discuss things.
Tuesday marked the ninth straight day of negotiations between the two parties, and they made a lot of progress on Monday.
Unfortunately, there was no deal and games are now being cancelled.
But talks will have to continue at some point.
There is still an issue yet to be fully solved: the expanded playoffs.
MLB has wanted to expand playoffs for some time now, and actually pulled it off for the 2020 season.
That year, more than half of the league made it into October: 16 teams.
That’s preposterous for players and most fans.
Owners, this time, wanted to increase the number of playoff teams to 14.
But players are still way too uncomfortable to make that happen.
Owners Are Benefited With Expanded Playoffs
First and foremost, players don’t make too much money in the playoffs, while owners do: that’s probably why they are seeking the expanded postseason in the first place.
And second, that year was a one-time thing: if players agree to expanded playoffs during the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations, they will have to play them until 2026 at least.
Most players are against 14 teams in the playoffs, but are at least open to discuss 12 to unlock some other things in talks.
Hearing now that players are resistant as a group to 14 teams in the playoffs, and it’s not just 1, 2 or a few against it. Theres’s “widespread consensus” not to go to 14 postseason teams.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 1, 2022
The most likely scenario is the new CBA deal eventually being finalized with a postseason with 12 teams, six in each league.
NEXT: MLB Writer Explains Huge Problem With Too Many Playoff Teams