NEW YORK – The Major League Baseball reacted angrily to the last offer of blocked players when bargaining resumed on Sunday, accusing the union of retreating and showing no signs of a breakthrough to bring back a disrupted season.
On the 95th day of the lockout, the parties talked for 95 minutes, mostly convincing each other of their positions. Talks stalled Tuesday after nine days of talks in Jupiter, Florida, and Commissioner Rob Manfred canceled the first two series of the season for each team, for a total of 91 games.
It was the first meeting since then, the first season delayed due to labor struggles since 1995. Manfred was in the MLB offices on Sunday but did not attend the negotiation sessions.
The union published many of its proposals in writing after four-day breaks.
“We were hoping to see movement in our direction to give us extra flexibility and close the deal quickly,” MLB spokesman Glenn Kaplin said. “The Players Association has decided to come back to us with an offer that was worse than Monday night and is not meant to move forward. On some issues even went back. Simply put, we are at a dead end. We will try to figure out how to answer, but nothing in this proposal makes it easy. “
In trying to settle the second longest-running baseball shutdown, the parties have stayed away from each other on issues of luxury tax, minimum wages and a proposed bonus fund for players eligible before an arbitration tribunal. The union reduced the starting point for the bonus pool by $ 5 million to $ 80 million, but left its proposals for the luxury tax and the minimum wage unchanged.
The players declined to respond publicly to MLB, but said they withdrew their proposals to expand free agency and arbitration, as well as reduce revenue distribution, reducing the bonus pool request from the original $ 120 million. They also offered to agree to advertise uniforms and helmets.
After the main session, Deputy Commissioner Dan Hallem and union chief negotiator Bruce Mayer met in private. The players invited the parties to meet again on Monday, and MLB told the union it would return with a decision on the meeting.
Among the few areas with new proposals, players said the rapid competition committee should include four union members, six leadership members and one judge. The group will consider changes to the rules no earlier than 2023, which will cover a 14-second clock without runners at the base and 19 seconds with runners enabled, limiting defensive shifts and using larger bases, and it will be able to recommend offseason changes with 45 days warning for implementation.
The MLB last week proposed that the committee include six leadership officials, two union representatives and one judge. Currently, management can change the rules only with the consent of the union or unilaterally with a one-year notice.
The players said they would not allow the committee to consider one topic that MLB asked to include: robots to summon balls and punches.
The union has offered to increase the postseason from 10 teams to 12, but said it is ready to discuss the leadership’s desire to get 14 if MLB will consider a “ghost victory” in the first round, in which management is not interested. the best of the five playoffs with a 1-0 series advantage.
Players want to raise the luxury tax threshold from $ 210 last season to $ 238 million this year, $ 244 million in 2023, $ 250 million in 2024, $ 256 million in 2025 and $ 263 million in 2026. $ 224 million in 2025 and $ 230 million in 2026.
Tax rates will remain unchanged and direct compensation for draft bidding for free agents will be eliminated.
The union reduced its pre-arbitration bonus pool plan from $ 85 million, but asked for an annual increase of $ 5 million for the remainder of the deal. The last time MLB offered $ 30 million compared to $ 25 million without an annual increase and suggested that the union verbally called the figure below $ 80 million when the parties discussed possible compromises on Monday night.
Under the general agreement, the players agreed to withdraw the proposed extension of salary arbitration for players with at least two years of experience, but less than three.
Players have maintained the proposed minimum wage of $ 725,000 this year, $ 745,000 in 2023, $ 765,000 in 2024 and will increase over the next two years based on the consumer price index for urban employees. The owners offered $ 700,000 with an annual increase of $ 10,000.
For players destined for minors and signing a second or later contract in the major leagues, the MLB is a minimum of $ 99,400 this year, $ 101,400 in 2023, $ 103,400 in 2024, $ 105,500 in 2025 and $ 106,600. in 2025 and 106,600 dollars, and in 2025 – 106,600 dollars, while in 2025 – 106,600 dollars2, 104, 1041, 1041, 107, and then the increase in the cost of living.
For those minors on a first major league contract, MLB costs $ 49,800 with an annual increase of $ 1,000, and this year – $ 59,500 players, followed by $ 61,100, $ 62,700 and a rise in the cost of living.
Players turned down MLB’s offer of an international draft and remained in the top six selections for the proposed amateur draft lottery, one more than the MLB.
Players also want to cut the proposed MLB international games that include Mexico City; Melbourne, Australia; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and South Korea.
