“MLB Owners-vs-Union-vs-Fans”

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It’s Day 79 of the MLB imposed lockout.
Spring training has not opened.
Cactus League and Grapefruit Circuit Games will be cancelled.
Opening day in baseball at the end of March is now in jeopardy.

Congrats to Commissioner Rob Manfred, who told us in December, locking down baseball would lead to bargaining.  Congrats to White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, a hawk, for possibly ruining a 10B industry baseball worked so hard to build up.

Pick any of 13-items on the bargaining table, and nothing has been finalized.  From the luxury tax.. to Arbitration… to Super 2-bonus money… to increased Minor League pay… to the Universal DH… to roter limits…, to the International Draft…to Playoff expansion,  to Bonus draft picks…to option clauses…and more.

Since December 2nd to February 18th, and nothing accomplished..

Manfred and the owners made 1-proposal to the union in 70-days.
The Union has made two counteroffers.
No one has moved an inch, or a dollar, to try to actually close the gap

Below is a summary of what both sides have offered, and refused to find a common ground.  Courtesy of MLB.Trade rumors:
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Updated 2-17-22

With proposals going back and forth, it can be difficult to keep track of where each side stands in collective bargaining between MLB and the Players Association.  We’ll keep this post updated so you can use it as a reference.

Last Proposal From MLB: 2-12-22

Last Proposal From MLBPA: 2-17-22

Next Up: Unclear when MLB will counter

Here’s where each side stands on the key issues.

Minimum Salary

MLB: $630K, or fixed $615K/$650K/$725K salaries for 0-3 players
MLBPA: $775K
Current gap: $145K
Competitive Balance Tax

MLB: Base tax thresholds at $214MM in 2022/ $214MM in 2023/ $216MM in 2024 / $218MM in 2025 / $222MM in 2026.  Also proposing significant increases in tax rates on overages and new draft pick penalties.
MLBPA: $245MM in 2022 / $252MM in 2023 / $259MM in 2024 / $266MM in 2025 / $273MM in 2026
Current gap: $31MM in 2022, growing to $51MM in 2026.  Gap also includes MLB’s proposed increases in tax rates and addition of draft pick forfeiture
Draft Pick Compensation

MLB: Has proposed eliminating draft pick forfeiture for teams that sign free agents.  Their plan still calls for teams to get draft picks for losing free agents, depending on the quality of the player.  This offer seems to be tied to MLB’s CBT proposal as sort of a trade.
Pre-Arbitration Bonus Pool

MLB: $15MM pool.  MLB has agreed to fund a bonus pool for pre-arbitration players, which would be a new addition to the CBA.  They have proposed “a six-person panel — three from each side — to develop a mutually agreeable WAR statistic to allocate the funds,” according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.  He adds, “The top 30 players in WAR and award winners would be eligible for the bonus pool.”
MLBPA: $115MM pool, distributed to 150 players.
Current gap: $100MM
Arbitration Eligibility

MLB: No change in which players are eligible for arbitration.  In the previous CBA, the top 22% of 2+ players were arbitration eligible, known as Super Two players.
MLBPA: Top 80% of players in the 2+ service class eligible for arbitration
Service Time Manipulation

MLB: Offering two draft picks within the player’s first three years if he finishes in the top three in Cy Young, Rookie of the Year or MVP voting (per Jesse Rogers)
MLBPA: “Players receive a full year of service time in their rookie season if infielders and catchers finish among the top seven for their position in WAR in each league, with outfielders, relief pitchers and starting pitchers finishing among the top 20.  The union also said it would accept a modification of MLB’s proposal that would reward draft pick compensation to teams whose players finish among the top three in the Rookie of the Year, MVP and Cy Young voting.” (per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale)
Anti-Tanking Measures

MLB: Lottery for top three picks
MLBPA: Lottery for top eight picks.  Under the union’s offer, teams would find themselves excluded from the lottery for finishing below certain thresholds in the standings for two to three consecutive seasons. The specific thresholds for exclusion varied depending upon market size, with larger-market clubs facing stricter requirements for lottery eligibility.
Revenue Sharing

MLB: No change to revenue sharing
MLBPA: $30MM reduction
Expanded Playoffs

MLB: 14 teams
MLBPA: 12 teams
Universal Designated Hitter

This seems to be generally agreed upon by both sides.

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