After Major League Baseball made its latest proposal to the Players Association on Saturday, one thing became increasingly clear: Any hope of spring training games starting on time has all but vanished — and an on-time Opening Day is in jeopardy.
Lawyers from both sides met for about an hour at MLB’s midtown headquarters, where the league made its latest proposal to the players regarding a new collective bargaining agreement.
It left the union unimpressed, according to a source.
And the MLB-imposed lockout, which began on Dec. 2, will continue at least into the coming week, which would have been when pitchers and catchers reported to camp.
Camps will not open until a new CBA is reached. MLB presented the union with a calendar of when an agreement would need to be reached in order to start the regular season on March 31, as scheduled. The details of that time frame are not yet known, but commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday that four weeks of spring training would be necessary before the regular season could begin.
Among the issues put forward by the owners in the proposal Saturday was the elimination of a third-round pick in the amateur draft as a penalty for exceeding the first luxury tax threshold.
As for the competitive balance tax, the league did not budge on its proposal to bump the threshold from $210 to $214 million in 2022 and 2023. They did increase the numbers in the final three years of the proposed agreement from $214 million, $216 million and $220 million, to $216 million, $218 million and $222 million.
MLB is sticking to the 50 percent tax rate for the first tier, much to the union’s dismay. The proposed increased numbers also still fall well short of the $245 million threshold the union is seeking, starting with the upcoming season.
There were other steps taken with Saturday’s 130-page proposal, including an increase from $10 million to $15 million for the pre-arbitration bonus pool. The players previously went from $105 million to $100 million.
The league also made a pair of proposals regarding minimum salary: a non-fixed flat rate of $630,000 and another that would go from $615,000-$725,000 depending on service time. The offer for players with two to three years went from $700,000 to $725,000.
Regarding service manipulation, MLB offered to award two draft picks — one amateur and one international — for some rookie accomplishments. The union has not yet agreed to an international draft.
Additionally, regarding the amateur draft, owners proposed to guarantee drafted players who take part in the predraft physical program a contract of a minimum of 75 percent of slot value, regardless of the outcome of the post-draft physical. That would address situations similar to what happened last year, when the Mets drafted Kumar Rocker out of Vanderbilt, but didn’t sign him due to physical concerns.
MLB also proposed limiting the number of times an eligible player may be optioned to the minors in the same season to five.
After the meeting, the union took the proposal to its executive board, setting up yet another waiting game. The two sides have met just five times on core economic issues since the sport shut down.
