Major League Baseball and the Players Association (MLB) met Saturday for another round of collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations, with the latest session coming less than a week before Spring Training camps are due to open in Arizona and Florida.
Two days before the parties gathered in New York, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred outlined areas the league would present in what he deemed a “good-faith” proposal.
Manfred added the intention was to “move the process forward” as time is of the essence to avoid Spring Training and potentially the 2022 regular season being delayed.
However, MLB’s counteroffer to the MLBPA again was not received well, according to Evan Drellich of The Athletic:
Major League Baseball on Saturday presented what it considered a comprehensive proposal to the players, spanning both economic and non-economic issues. Union officials were underwhelmed, seeing the moves as slight but also maintaining some elements of proposals players were previously most concerned with.
It’s unclear when the union will draft their own response to the 130-page CBA proposal they received. What figures to come first is an announcement from MLB that Spring Training will not begin later this week as scheduled.
Manfred previously estimated it would take roughly five days for a new CBA to be ratified in order for Spring Training camps to open.
Manfred: MLB, MLBPA in agreement on key topics
Also during his address at the conclusion of the owners meetings in Orlando, Manfred indicated 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.
However, MLB and the MLBPA remain at odds over numerous details. Chief among them being the union is seeking a $775,000 minimum salary and $100 million bonus pool for pre-arbitration players.
MLB in their latest offer countered at a $630,000 minimum and $15 million bonus pool, respectively.
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