On Friday, the Major League Baseball Players Association rejected MLB’s request to involve federal mediation in their negotiating, with MLB issuing an angry response, as animosity and hostility continues to escalate between the two sides.
“It is hard to understand why a party that wants to make an agreement would reject mediation from the federal agency specifically tasked with resolving these disputes,’’ an MLB spokesman said, “including many successes in professional sports. MLB remains committed to offering solutions at the table and reaching a fair agreement for both sides.”
Several players believe it was nothing more than a negotiating ploy, and the union’s executive board swiftly declined the offer.
“The clearest path to a fair and timely agreement is to get back to the table,’’ the union said in a statement. “Players stand ready to negotiate.’’
And so it goes ...
MLB’s 2021-22 lockout is entering its third month with no immediate compromise in sight, all but certain to delay spring training while also jeopardizing the start of the regular season.
The next negotiating session has not yet been scheduled but they could meet next week in Florida. The owners have their scheduled quarterly meetings Tuesday through Thursday in the Orlando area while the union plans to start meeting with players next week, including stops in Florida.
One person with direct knowledge of the negotiations told USA TODAY Sports that union representatives aren’t going to Florida to specifically engage in negotiations, but will be available if a session is scheduled.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss publicly
The union said it was promised a counterproposal from MLB after meeting Tuesday, while MLB says it only promised a response, not a counter.
The response was the offer of a federal mediator.
The two sides have met only four times on core economic issues since Dec. 1, and with the two sides still far apart, the start of spring training camps scheduled Feb. 16 certainly will be delayed.
Commissioner Rob Manfred has a press conference scheduled Thursday where he is expected to announce that spring training will be delayed.
“Our goal is to have players on the field and fans in the ballparks for spring training and Opening Day,’’ an MLB spokesperson said. “With camps scheduled to open in less than two weeks, it is time to get immediate assistance from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to help us work through our differences and break the deadlock. It is clear the most productive path forward would be the involvement of an impartial third party to help bridge gaps and facilitate an agreement.’’
Simply, players believe the federal mediation proposal was simply a public relations ploy, and is unnecessary.
“How can MLB request for there to be a mediator from the federal government to help with negotiations when they literally haven’t even done any negotiating up to this point?’’ San Francisco Giants pitcher Alex Wood tweeted.
New York Mets starter Max Scherzer, on the union’s executive committee, tweeted: “We don’t need mediation because what we are offering to MLB is fair for both sides. We want a system where threshold and penalties don’t function as caps, allows younger player to realize more of their market value, makes service time manipulation a thing of the past, and eliminate tanking as a winning strategy.’’
The question now is whether either side will blink and make dramatic changes to their last proposals.
The players want the competitive balance tax raised from $210 million to $245 million; the league is offering $214 million with heavier taxes and stiffer penalties.
The players want the minimum salary raised from $570,500 to $775,000; the league is offering $615,000.
The players want the revenue sharing transfer system lowered by $30 million; the league refuses to alter it.
The only real progress is that the league has agreed to a universal DH while removing direct draft-pick compensation for free agents, while the union has agreed to expand the postseason from 10 teams to 12, but short of MLB’s 14-team proposal.
Meanwhile, the anger and distrust between the two sides reverberates for the entire sports world to see.
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