Union walks back proposals

Locked-out Major League Baseball players withdrew their proposal for more liberalized free agency and lowered their proposed decrease in revenue sharing Monday.

Players had previously asked that players be allowed to become free agents after five years of service with some age provisions, rather than the current six. The union had also asked that the revenue-sharing transfer amount be cut from $100 million (U.S.) annually to about $30 million.

Negotiators for each side met in person for the first time since Dec. 1, the day before the sport’s first work stoppage since 1995. Veteran reliever Andrew Miller was the only player to attend.

Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort, chair of baseball’s labour policy committee, was part of a four-man delegation from MLB, arriving at the union office shortly before 1 p.m. He was accompanied by deputy commissioner Dan Halem, executive vice-president Morgan Sword and senior vice-president Patrick Houlihan.

The sides planned to meet again Tuesday, though it was not certain whether Miller and Montfort would attend.

There is dwindling time to reach an agreement that would allow spring training to start as scheduled on Feb. 16. Opening day, slated for March 31, is also increasingly threatened given the need for players to report, go through COVID-19 protocols and have at least three weeks of workouts and a few exhibition games.

Teams also want to expand from 10 post-season teams to 14, and players have offered 12. Both sides have proposed a draft lottery.