Negotiations produce progress, anger
Both sides make moves, but are far apart; players agree to meet again on Sunday
Major League Baseball negotiations took several steps forward and overcame a possible breakdown after testy talks Saturday, leaving less than two days until management’s deadline for an agreement to salvage opening day on March 31 and a 162-game schedule.
While the sides moved toward each other on some topics, they remained far apart on the biggest economic issues: luxury tax thresholds and rates, the minimum salary and the new pre-arbitration bonus pool.
Players were angered by the state of negotiations at the end of Saturday’s session and would not commit to extending talks.
After internal discussions, they agreed to meet for a seventh straight day Sunday.
MLB says if there is not an agreement by the end of Monday, it would start canceling regular-season games because there will not be enough training time to play a full schedule.
Players have not said whether they agree to that as a deadline and could make do with a shorter spring training.
Once Monday passes, the length of the schedule would become yet another issue in the dispute, along with possible lost pay and service time.
The union has told MLB if games are missed and salaries are lost, clubs should not expect players to agree to management proposals to expand the postseason and allow advertisements on uniforms and helmets.
For all the rancor, there was progress that enabled the sides to align on some issues.
Teams agreed for the first time to credit a full year of major league service to players who finish first or second in Rookie of the Year voting in each league by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, as long as they are among the top 100 prospects and did not spend the full season on the big-league roster.
This would address the union’s contention that teams are delaying debuts of budding stars such as Kris Bryant to delay their free agency.
The sides also agreed the proposed lottery in the annual amateur draft would be for the first six selections.
While the union thought it was on the verge of an agreement on that topic Friday, teams angered the union by linking that to players agreeing to expand the postseason from 10 teams to 14, rather the 12 the union prefers.
The players moved toward MLB on salary arbitration, cutting from 75 percent to 35 percent for those who would be eligible from the group with at least two seasons of service but less than three.
Management says it will not move from 22 percent, the cutoff since 2013.
With the move Saturday, the eligibility of only about 15-18 players annually is at issue.
Clubs stayed at a $214 million tax threshold, up from $210 million last season, and increased their 2023 proposal by $1 million to $215 million.
They left 2024 at $216 million with $2 million hikes in each of the final two seasons.
Teams cut the tax rate for exceeding the threshold from 50 percent to 45 percent, lowered the rate for exceeding by $20 million from 75 percent and the proposal for exceeding by $40 million from 100 percent to 95 percent.