JUPITER, Florida - Fans walked around outside Roger Dean Stadium on Saturday, so badly wanting to be optimistic that MLB's 87-day lockout would soon be over, but by the end of the day, officials came out of their negotiations and delivered the cold-hearted reality.
They still are nowhere remotely close to reaching an agreement to stop the lockout.
Let’s put it this way: There is a better chance of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles playing in the World Series this year than Major League Baseball and the players union reaching a deal by Monday that would prevent delaying the start of the season.
In the words of one union official, the meeting was "very hostile," leaving players in attendance and player representatives on a Zoom call absolutely infuriated.
MLB officials shared the same sentiments, saying, "We’re really far apart."
SPORTS NEWSLETTER:Sign up for daily updates sent to your inbox
Negotiations were so ugly that the union threatened to break off negotiations when talks ended Saturday, but tempers cooled and they will meet again for the seventh consecutive day Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
MLB negotiators continue to remind the union of their deadline: If there is no deal by Monday evening, the 2022 regular season will be delayed and games will be cancelled without being made up, resulting in the loss of pay for every game missed.
The union believes that MLB is serious about the deadline, but flatly rejects the notion players shouldn’t be paid for a full season. A union representative reminded reporters that MLB offered full pay a year ago when it proposed starting the season 18 days late because of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the players union made several concessions in a comprehensive proposal that MLB flatly rejected. It lowered the request for salary arbitration eligibility from 75% of the two-year class to 35%. It reduced the luxury tax threshold by a total of $6 million during the five years of the CBA — $245 million in 2022, $250 million in 2023, $257 million in 2024, $264 million in 2025 and $273 million in 2026. And it modified a proposal for revenue sharing that would no longer result in a $30 million decrease but provide small-market teams an incentive to spend.
MLB all but mocked the offer, leaving the players "outraged," according to an official.
SOUNDING OFF:Goose Gossage blasts current state of MLB
MLB refuses to change the current salary arbitration system that includes the top 22% of the two-year service class, which affects about 18 players. It increased its $214 million luxury tax threshold by a total of $1 million ($214 million in 2022, $215 million in 2023, $216 million in 2024, $218 million in 2025 and $222 million in 2026). It also slightly lowered its original proposed tax penalties (45% for the first tier, 62% on the second tier, and 95% for the third tier). And it considers any change to the revenue-sharing among clubs as a non-starter.
The biggest movement by MLB was offering to provide a full year of service to rookies who finish first or second in Rookie of the Year voting. It’s the first time the league has offered players a full year of service no matter when they make their major-league debut, hoping to help combat service time manipulation.
Yet, even after MLB and the union said they were so close to an agreement on at least establishing a draft lottery on Friday, with a six-pick lottery for the non-playoff teams to de-incentivize tanking, talks broke off when the union wouldn’t agree to expanded playoffs from 10 teams to 14 teams. The union would only approve a 12-team playoff system.
The union also flatly rejected MLB’s proposal to be able to unilaterally implement rule changes after providing a 45-day notice. The current system requires at least one year notice.
The only thing the two sides agreed upon was to limit the number of times (five) a player can be optioned to the minors in a single season.
Otherwise, just another wasted sunny day in South Florida, with everyone exasperated inside Roger Dean Stadium, wondering now where they turn next.
Follow Bob Nightengale on Twitter @BNightengale.
