MLB cancels more games as players and owners fail to find common ground
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred canceled 93 more games on Wednesday, appearing to cut off the chance to play a full 162-game schedule and threatening locked out players with loss of salary and service time.
As the sides narrowed many economic differences to a small margin, they became bogged down over management’s attempt to gain an international amateur draft. Talks on that topic were to continue on Wednesday night.
In the meantime, at 6.30pm on the 98th day of the lockout, Manfred announced two additional series had been canceled through 13 April. That raised the total to 184 games wiped out from the 2,430-game regular season, or 7.6%.
“Because of the logistical realities of the calendar, another two series are being removed from the schedule, meaning that opening day is postponed until 14 April,” Manfred said.
Given how close the sides are on economic issues, a breakdown over an international draft was both puzzling and stunning. But following years of simmering distrust that have heated to a boil, it also was predictable.
“There’s a lot going on in the world right now where you can certainly look out of touch,” Arizona Diamondbacks president CEO Derrick Hall said during a news conference. “I’m saddened by all this, saddened by everything.”
While the gaps shrunk on the luxury tax, pre-arbitration bonus pool and minimum salary, management continued to press for its long-held goal of an international amateur draft. Players have repeatedly rejected the proposal since it was made on 28 July.
“We never offered the Int’l Draft” tweeted Mets pitcher Max Scherzer, among the eight players on the union’s executive subcommittee. “We did discuss it, but MLB told us they were NOT going to offer anything for it. At that point, we informed all players & agreed to no draft.”
The union reacted angrily to Manfred’s announcement.
“The owners’ decision to cancel additional games is completely unnecessary,” it said in a statement. “After making a set of comprehensive proposals to the league earlier this afternoon and being told substantive responses were forthcoming, players have yet to hear back.”
Manfred had set a Tuesday deadline for a deal to preserve a 162-game schedule, and staff had started planning for opening day on 6 April, back from the original 31 March. The deadline was extended it to 2pm Wednesday and then to 6pm.
MLB said it would not make a new counteroffer to players unless the union first chose one of three options:-Agree to the international draft in exchange for the elimination of direct amateur draft pick compensation for qualified free agents.-- Keep compensation in exchange for MLB dropping the international draft proposal.-Drop compensation while giving players until 15 November to accept an international draft starting in 2024 and giving MLB the right to reopen the labor contract after the 2024 season if players fail to accept the draft.
Players rejected all three options and instead proposed to drop compensation for this year, have the sides agree to a draft by 15 November or then revert to compensation for the 2022-23 offseason. MLB said it did not receive that until after the 6pm deadline.
“In a last-ditch effort to preserve a 162-game season, this week we have made good-faith proposals that address the specific concerns voiced by the MLBPA and would have allowed the players to return to the field immediately,” Manfred said. “The clubs went to extraordinary lengths to meet the substantial demands of the MLBPA. On the key economic issues that have posed stumbling blocks, the clubs proposed ways to bridge gaps to preserve a full schedule. Regrettably, after our second late-night bargaining session in a week, we remain without a deal.”