While there’s been little progress on the CBA front in recent weeks, owners and the players union hope that February 21st could be a turning point in the negotiations. Following a brief 15 minute meeting on Thursday, reports indicate that several owners plan to fly into town to personally sit in on negotiations next week.
As we draw closer to MLB’s previously announced February 28th deadline, both sides appear to finally be taking positive steps towards bridging the divide. The player’s union has stated that they are willing to meet every day next week if necessary to avoid losing regular season games on the 2022 schedule.
MLB announced Thursday that they would be delaying the start of Spring Training in a statement posted on the league site: “We regret that, without a collective bargaining agreement in place, we must postpone the start of Spring Training games until no earlier than Saturday, March 5,” the league said. “All 30 clubs are unified in their strong desire to bring players back to the field and fans back to the stands.
“The clubs have adopted a uniform policy that provides an option for full refunds for fans who have purchased tickets from the clubs to any Spring Training games that are not taking place. We are committed to reaching an agreement that is fair to each side. On Monday, members of the owners’ bargaining committee will join an in-person meeting with the Players Association and remain every day next week to negotiate and work hard toward starting the season on time.”
Pitchers and catchers were already due to report to Spring Training facilities as the lockout has now reached 80 days. Yet despite the drawn out nature of the negotiations, the two sides have met only 6 times thus far, with little progress made on the key issues.
The owners and players are currently locked in a stalemate regarding competitive balance taxes, minimum salaries, and arbitration related details. While some matters have been resolved, the financial gap between the two sides on the issues above remains daunting, with little progress made on the dollars and cents side of things since negotiations began in December.
With just over a week remaining until the league’s February 28th deadline, owners and union reps will need to get serious in a hurry if they plan to not lose any meaningful games this season.