JUPITER, Fla. — Just days after deciding to delay the start of spring training, Major League Baseball owners will meet each day this week with the Major League Baseball Players Association as the two sides try to work out a collective bargaining agreement.
Owners have locked out players since December 2, 2021. As the months passed, no concrete progress was made in back-and-forth negotiations. That’s led to the current situation with spring training nowhere in sight as the two sides appear locked in on their specific wants in a new deal.
The latest meetings will take place in Jupiter at Roger Dean Stadium, the spring training home of the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals.
According to CBSSports.com, MLB players want to funnel more money to younger players. They would do this by “increasing the minimum salary and installing a pre-arbitration bonus pool.” Players are also asking for owners to curb “anti-competitive strategies,” also known as tanking.
The owners, who control the lockout, want to “expand the postseason to 14 teams and the ability to cut minor league rosters if desired after the upcoming season,” CBSSports.com reported. There’s also disagreement with both sides over, “the competitive balance tax thresholds and penalties, the total increase in minimum salary, and the size of the bonus pool.”
And while the negotiations have not produced any major breakthroughs, there are a few items owners and players have agreed upon including a universal Designated Hitter and a draft lottery.
Still, the countdown clock is set to February 28. That’s the date MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a deal must be met to avoid delaying Opening Day of the regular season. According to the New York Post, there are a few days of "leeway" to play 162 games if Opening Day is delayed.
Still, at a time when baseball has dropped in popularity among many sports fans, missing any games could be a big blow to baseball’s overall perception. The question now is how much urgency will both sides work with as the clock counts down to zero.
