MLB lockout updates: Spring training likely to be delayed as Tuesday negotiations go nowhere per Report
With the lack of progress between MLB and the players union the start of Spring Training is likely to be delayed
Ah, well this is was the most likely outcome since the start of the MLB lockout started back on December 2nd. Bob Nightengale of USA Today, described Tuesday's meeting between Major League Baseball and the players union as a "heated 90-minute negotiation session," which led to both sides barely any closer to coming to an agreement for a new CBA making it almost certain that the 2022 Spring Training will be delayed.
According to Nightengale, "In their first negotiating session in a week, the union lowered its bonus pool proposal for non-eligible arbitration players from $105 million to $100 million while MLB has offered $10 million. It also sought to give a full year of service time to players who rank among the top-20 ranked by WAR instead of the top 30. The union also made a modification to MLB’s proposal that would reward a draft pick to a team to help avert service-time manipulation."
The calendar isn't looking good for the start of spring training to start on time, as we are just two weeks remain before spring training is scheduled to start for pitchers and catchers in Arizona and Florida on Feb. 16, but unless there’s an agreement in about a week, a delay will be inevitable.
Nightengale said, "MLB is expected to respond, likely by the end of the week, but with progress painfully slow, the real deadline maybe by the end of February to prevent the 2022 regular season from being delayed. The two sides are so far apart that while MLB insists their proposals make it a much better deal for players than the last collective bargaining agreement, providing more money to players across the board – particularly the younger players – the union argues that it’s worse. The only major changes since their talks originally began last summer is that the union has dropped its request to lower free agency from six years to five years while MLB has eliminated its proposal to eliminate salary arbitration."
Related Article: Major League Baseball Considering “Lottery” Draft To Discourage Tanking
Today marked the fourth negotiating session since December 1, 2021, before the lockout was imposed, and although the two sides are finally talking again after a 43-day hiatus, little has been accomplished.
