Major League Baseball and the Players Association (MLBPA) met over the weekend for another round of collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations, but again there was little to no progress made.
Heading into the meeting, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said the league would present a “good-faith” proposal and one that was sure to move the process ahead. However, the MLBPA reportedly came away unimpressed by the counteroffer that was in the form of 130 pages.
Although Manfred was hesitant late last week to declare the start of 2022 Spring Training would be delayed, that now appears inevitable.
Furthermore, MLB also informed the MLBPA of what date a new CBA needs to be agreed to in order to avoid the regular season not starting on time, according to Evan Drellich of The Athletic:
MLB on Saturday also discussed a calendar with the players, expressly outlining when a deal would be needed by to begin the regular season on time. The exact dates the league identified were not immediately known, and it’s unclear yet if the union sees eye to eye with MLB’s sense of the calendar.
By most accounts — including Manfred’s — Spring Training would need to last a minimum of four weeks so players can adequately prepare for the start of the season. Thus, that leaves the league and union with roughly two weeks to ratify a CBA and open camps for the Cactus League and Grapefruit League.
Manfred estimated there would need to be four or five days from the time a new CBA is in place to Spring Training starting.
At present time, the Dodgers remain scheduled to face the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on Saturday, Feb. 26, for their Cactus League opener.
Opening Day of the regular season is still slated to be held March 31.
Manfred: MLB, MLBPA agree on universal DH and more
While speaking at the conclusion of the owners meetings in Orlando, Manfred said the league and players association were aligned on the issues of implementing a universal designated hitter, creating a Draft lottery system, increasing the minimum salary and bonus pool for pre-arbitration players.
But even with that, MLB and the MLBPA remain at odds over numerous details. Chief among them being the union seeking a $775,000 minimum salary and $100 million bonus pool for pre-arbitration players.
MLB countered in their latest offer with minimum salaries for players with zero to three years of Major League service time at $615,000, $650,000 and $700,000; and increased the pre-arbitration bonus pool to $15 million.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
