Major League Baseball and MLB Players Association will meet Monday. Sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan that the union is expected present a counteroffer last week to the league’s proposal.
Major League Baseball was contacted by the players’ association on Thursday to schedule the negotiating sessions, sources stated.
This would be the first meeting between the sides after MLB closed down players on Dec. 2. The meeting would take place 11 days after the clubs submitted a proposal to the union.
The Associated Press reported first on the meeting.
It is getting harder to agree in time for spring training, which will begin as planned on February 16.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to schedule the March 31 opening date due to players having to report, go through COVID-19 protocols, and have at most three weeks of training that includes a minimum number of exhibition games.
The regular season is when players receive their paychecks. In the offseason, owners only get a small portion of their revenues. These factors make negotiations a game of chicken up until February mid-to-late, when economic losses are more likely.
Players reacted calmly to the owners’ proposal at a Jan. 13 video meeting and stated that they would contact MLB if they had any questions.
The ninth baseball work stoppage began Dec. 2, following the expiration a five-year labor agreement.
Players are unhappy with the 4% decrease in payrolls from 2015 levels to 2015. They have requested significant changes that include more freedom for agency and eligibility for salary arbitration.
Free agency has been available to players with six years of service in the major leagues since 1976. Since 2013, salary arbitration eligibility has been three seasons and the top 22% based on service time for players with at least two but not more than three years.
MLB proposed to replace “super two” arbitration with increased spending for the entire class of two-plus based on performance.
Players want to decrease revenue sharing. This would take money from smaller-market teams, while large-market clubs would retain a higher portion of cash — which could be used to pay salaries.
MLB proposed raising the threshold from $210 million to $214 million. Players asked for a raise in the threshold to $245million and to remove any non-tax penalties.
Players have also offered 12 points of support for teams that want to grow from 10 to 14 postseason teams.
Both sides have suggested a draft lottery to encourage competition, but they differ on how many teams should be included.
In their latest proposal, the teams suggested that they address the union’s concerns over club service time manipulation by allowing a group to receive an additional draft selection for an accomplishment by an eligible player for arbitration.
This report was compiled by the Associated Press.