NEW YORK — Nearly a week after Major League Baseball owners canceled the first two series of the regular season, they appear to be no closer to ending the lockout they imposed on players in December.
The Associated Press reported Monday that owners reacted "angrily" to the latest proposal offered by the locked-out players in the latest round of talks. Owners accused the union of backtracking on positions and said there is no sign of a breakthrough to get the baseball season moving.
Both sides talked 95 minutes on the 95th day of the lockout, largely restating their positions that have been in place for several weeks. According to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, the talks have been characterized as deadlocked.
"Players union agreed to allow MLB to ban shifts, implement a pitch clock, and make bases larger in 2023, subject to those agreements fitting into a total deal," Heyman tweeted Sunday. "Union also rejected Robo umps for '22/'23. MLB goal: to be able to streamline the process and add excitement to the game."
According to MLB.com, the players union lowered the ask for a pre-arbitration bonus pool from $85 million to $80 million, but didn't come off the competitive balance tax. The two sides are approximately $50 million apart on the bonus pool as of Monday.
Still, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Sunday night that MLB is "willing to increase the first luxury-tax threshold if players move in other areas." The amount MLB is willing to move could go a long way to closing the gap between the two sides.
CBSSports.com reported owners want the CBT starting at $220 million in 2022 and climb to $230 million by 2026. Players want the CBT to start at $238 million in 2022 and climb to $263 million in 2026.
MLB owners could begin to cancel more regular-season games at any point during negotiations. Owners already said any canceled regular-season games will not be made up and players will not be paid for those games.
As March Madness begins this week, NFL free agency begins next week, then the NBA and NHL near the beginning of their sports' respective playoffs, baseball remains stuck in the clubhouse and an afterthought in the sports world.
