MLB Players Have An Important Question To Answer

MLB and the Players Association may appear to be on the verge of a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), after last night’s undeniable progress.

However, that may or may not be the case, depending on the union’s next step.

What the Players Association does today will likely impact the players’ financial condition for the next four years.

Right now, the MLB players are basically at a crossroads.

Evan Drellich of The Athletic explained it: “Prevailing question I have right now: players for a long time have desired significant, meaningful changes. Do they settle for changes that could be viewed as middling, or argued to be uninspiring? Or do they insist on a package that is hard to describe as anything but impactful?”

Prevailing question I have right now: players for a long time have desired significant, meaningful changes. Do they settle for changes that could be viewed as middling, or argued to be uninspiring? Or do they insist on a package that is hard to describe as anything but impactful?

— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) March 1, 2022

Players have the chance to take the small steps forward the league has been taking in negotiations and have somewhat improved conditions in the next CBA.

Will The Players Settle Or Shoot For More?

However, they also have the chance to hold out, bite the bullet, miss a lot of games and shoot for what they had been hoping all along: impactful changes in the CBA.

“So this morning, and as talks unfold today, keep a few things in mind. The union made clear it felt the gap on key issues remains significant. So the deal is not done, and might not be at end of today. And that these are are package deals: nothing is done until everything is,” Drellich reminded all of us, as a way to help temper expectations.

So this morning, and as talks unfold today, keep a few things in mind. The union made clear it felt the gap on key issues remains significant. So the deal is not done, and might not be at end of today. And that these are are package deals: nothing is done until everything is.

— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) March 1, 2022

After all, the league is still at $675,000 in the minimum salary, while the league wants $775,000.

Solving a $100,000 gap in one day isn’t easy.

It’s surprising to see the league’s renewed interest in negotiating, but one has to wonder if they are somehow pressuring to get a deal done today to avoid the players holding out for much longer for the changes they truly want.