Today is a crucial day in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), as MLB had said all along that if no deal was agreed to by Monday, regular season games would be cancelled.
Instead of prompting more dialogue and moving things along, the two sides appear further than ever in their respective demands and there is a lot of animosity between them.
No deal is imminent, nor close, and we may not see baseball for at least another month.
Jeff Passan of ESPN said that, “The rhetoric is ratcheting up. As @EvanDrellich said, MLB suggested in the first meeting with the MLBPA today that the league is willing to cancel a month’s worth of games. What that means, or whether it’s simply a threat, is unclear, but players have taken it as a clear threat.”
The rhetoric is ratcheting up. As @EvanDrellich said, MLB suggested in the first meeting with the MLBPA today that the league is willing to cancel a month's worth of games. What that means, or whether it's simply a threat, is unclear, but players have taken it as a clear threat.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 28, 2022
Taillon Insists That Owners Can Still Make Profit With A Set Number Of Games
One of the players, New York Yankees’ star pitcher Jameson Taillon, had an interesting take on the owners’ posture.
“Players are used to their “threats”. Owners actions have made it clear all along that they have a set # of games where they still make profits/get TV money. They don’t want to play. It’s sad that these are the guys who drive the direction and “future”of our amazing sport,” he said.
Players are used to their “threats”. Owners actions have made it clear all along that they have a set # of games where they still make profits/get TV money. They don’t want to play. It’s sad that these are the guys who drive the direction and “future”of our amazing sport.
— Jameson Taillon (@JTaillon50) February 28, 2022
Judging by the way they have negotiated in the past few months, it’s evident owners are open to missing a lot of games to give them time to keep lowering the players’ demands.
It’s low, for sure, and neither players nor fans deserve not to have baseball just because they think they can still make a profit if the league starts in May or June.
NEXT: MLB Players And Owners Desperately Seeking A Solution Monday