Major League Baseball and the Players Association met again Tuesday after Monday’s round of negotiating. After not hearing anything from either side for 40-plus days, up until the middle of this month, the fact that we have heard of negotiations on consecutive days seems significant, as the sides work toward ending the league’s first work stoppage in 26 years.
Major League Baseball and Players Association are negotiating – A Hunt and Peck
Labor talks are over. Here’s what happened.
– MLB agreed to accept parameters of a pre-arbitration bonus pool for top 30 WAR. MLBPA seeking $105M. League offered $10M.
– MLB offered minimum raise to $615K. MLBPA wants $775K.
– MLB withdrew offer to change arbitration structure— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 25, 2022
The two sides met on Monday, in person, where the MLBPA made a counterproposal to MLB. The MLBPA’s latest proposal omitted the idea of an age-based free agency. The proposal also tweaked its revenue sharing between the teams, proposing $30 million instead of $100 million.
So, on Tuesday, the sides met again — and MLB got the floor for this session. MLB said that it is open to a pre-arbitration bonus pool, according to Sports Illustrated, and this was initially proposed by the players. The difference here? MLB has proposed a pool of $10 million, whereas the union firstly proposed $105 million.
Also in their Tuesday proposal, MLB offered to increase the starting minimum salary for first-year players up to $615,000. In their initial proposal, MLB offered $600,000. Nonetheless, the players are looking for a minimum of $775,000, according to ESPN.
Even though the owners and players are still very much separated in some areas, it is refreshing to see them at least communicating.
Opening Day of the 2022 regular season is scheduled for just nine weeks from this Thursday.