MLB players union rejects offer of mediation
The start of spring training likely will be a casualty of Major League Baseball’s lockout, which will threaten opening day unless the drawn-out talks lead to a deal in less than a month.
After a half-year of bickering over the sport’s economics, baseball’s warring factions couldn’t even agree on whether to have a mediator.
The Major League Baseball Players Association on Friday ruled out a third party intervening, one day after MLB asked for help from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service,
“Two months after implementing their lockout, and just two days after committing to players that a counterproposal would be made, the owners refused to make a counter, and instead requested mediation,” the union said in a statement.
“After consultation with our executive board, and taking into account a variety of factors, we have declined this request. The clearest path to a fair and timely agreement is to get back to the table. Players stand ready to negotiate.”
Owners locked out players Dec. 2, immediately following the expiration of a five-year collective bargaining agreement. There have been just three in-person negotiating sessions on core economics since, on Jan. 2425 and this past Tuesday, plus a digital session Jan. 13. The sides are still far apart.
More baseball
Five players were suspended for violations of the minor league drug program, raising this year’s total to nine.
Free-agent pitcher Nick Belzer and pitcher Charles Hall of Oakland’s Class A Central Lansing team were suspended for 50 games each for a second positive test for a drug of abuse. Miami Class AA outfielder Tristan Pompey also was suspended for 50 games for a second positive test for a drug of abuse. Detroit pitcher Hector Rodriguez and Arizona pitcher Jose Valdez were suspended for 60 games each following positive tests for the performing-enhancing substance Stanozolol. Both are on Dominican Summer League rosters.
• Joe West made it official, retiring from Major League Baseball after umpiring a record 5,460 regular-season games. Roberto Ortiz became the first Puerto Ricanborn umpire to join the big league staff in a series of retirements and promotions announced by MLB. Longtime umpires Gerry Davis, Kerwin Danley, Brian Gorman and Fieldin Culbreth also have retired.
Women’s basketball
The Phoenix Mercury signed WNBA leading scorer Tina Charles, their second big addition in as many days. Phoenix announced Charles’ signing a day after adding Diamond DeShields in a three-team trade with Chicago and New York. Charles joins a roster that includes Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner and Skylar Diggins-Smith, who led the Mercury to the WNBA Finals last season.
Soccer
Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, son of U.S. national team coach Gregg Berhalter, was traded to Major League Soccer’s Vancouver Whitecaps from the Columbus Crew for $50,000 in general allocation money plus $50,000 in allocation money contingent on performance. As part of the trade, Columbus would receive a percentage of any transfer fee if Berhalter is transferred to an international team.