2021 Collective Bargaining Negotiations

[andyb]

More discouraging updates. Sounds like the owners are testing whether the players are serious because they know missing a half year of games hurts the players more than it hurts the owners. Can we just push this thing into arbitration and have Justice Sotomayor solve it now?

Drellich: MLB owners are testing the players, won't make major concessions...

[bkox]

MLB and the Players Association will meet again tomorrow. The pace has officially picked up.

— Hannah Keyser ( @HannahRKeyser ) January 24, 2022

Source: MLBPA withdraws proposal to allow players to get to free agency before 6 years. Made modified revenue sharing proposal as well https://t.co/NGqnSCf55K

— Evan Drellich ( @EvanDrellich ) January 24, 2022

[andyb]

That is a small concession by the players and I think they made it because owners were complaining too much about it. The players that would make big money becoming a free agent a year early (the Fernando Tatis types) tend to sign huge multi-year contracts early anyway. The practical effect of 10-20 mid-level players getting to free agency a year older would be minimal.

I am still a fan of age based free agency as the best way to prevent service time manipulations. I think I would even consider what the owners suggested which would be to go exclusively to age-based. That would prevent all service time manipulation and would be closer to what hockey has. The age would ideally be 29.5 or hopefully even lower. When paired with an arbitration system that might award players like Juan Soto huge contracts, it would force the teams to sign longer term deals anyway.

Now it is the owners turn to concede some major things.

More from the Athletic:

Ghiroli: The longer the MLB lockout goes, the clearer it gets that the real...

[bkox]

If nothing else, MLB players & owners are talking again.

At the same time, heard today’s MLBPA proposal wasn’t met with tons of optimism & turned into “a lot of arguing.” So there’s still a lot of work to do.

— Ben Nicholson-Smith ( @bnicholsonsmith ) January 24, 2022

Heard MLB owners gave mixed signals about timing of 2022 season. On the one hand, they say they’re hoping to reach a deal on time for a full season.

But in today’s session they also indicated they’re willing to lose games. That was a first for these talks.

— Ben Nicholson-Smith ( @bnicholsonsmith ) January 24, 2022

[Squire]

Apologies if this has been asked and answered....but if the lockout only affects 40 man players....will minor league spring training, and seasons start without an agreement?

[bkox]

yes the minor league season is a go

[Philsmania]

Minor league hockey went on the year the NHL season didn't go off due to the lockout. The then-Philadelphia Phantoms won the Calder Cup and, some could argue, were champions of hockey that year.

[bkox]

Any characterization of optimism that talks were starting to accelerate between the @MLB owners @MLBPA was diminished by the union, which said the players were disappointed with the latest round of what they called narrow MLB proposals made today. @Grampskie @Sportico

— Barry M. Bloom ( @Boomskie ) January 25, 2022

The sides will continue to discuss non-core economic issues, but no new formal bargaining sessions have been scheduled.

— Barry M. Bloom ( @Boomskie ) January 25, 2022

For example, the owners offered a raise in the first-year minimum wage to $615,000, up from $570,500. The players asked for $750 K. There has been no movement on the competitive balance threshold or second year of arbitration for all players.

— Barry M. Bloom ( @Boomskie ) January 25, 2022

MLB proposed today to raise the minimum salary for players with 0 to 1 year of service time to $615,000. Previously had proposed $600,000. No change to 1-2 years (650k) or 2-3 (700). MLB also withdrew its proposals to eliminate salary arbitration for any group

— Evan Drellich ( @EvanDrellich ) January 25, 2022

MLB also proposed a $10 million bonus pool for pre arbitration eligible players. The union had proposed a bonus pool of $105 million. So concept has some common ground, amount is way, way apart.

— Evan Drellich ( @EvanDrellich ) January 25, 2022

Big article from MLBTR:

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/01/mlb-lockout-rumors-bonus-pool-pre-arbitration-minimum-salary.html

[bkox]

I asked a source with knowledge of today’s bargaining session about perceived movement from MLB on talks and source said “I’d hesitate to call it movement. The players’ reaction to this universally was, ‘What the f-, are you kidding me?’

— Susan Slusser ( @susanslusser ) January 25, 2022

[andyb]

Some analysis of the latest proposals:

The Economic Impact of Yesterday’s CBA Proposals

The players hopefully win the minimum wage argument (or the final settlement is much closer to what they want). And on the performance bonuses for 0-3 year players the owners $10 million proposal is ridiculously low. Again the settlement should really be closer to what the players want.

This dispute really seems so solvable now that the players have caved on age-based free agency (where their proposal was pretty limited in the first place). The players are generally asking for reasonable things that barely keep up with inflation. Think of it this way, with 7% inflation this year the luxury tax line should go up $15 million alone this year just to match that and that does not even begin to account for rising slower than revenues the past 10 years.

The ideal solution to this is probably for the players to get 75% of the rest of what they are asking for. Maybe include some salary escrow if COVID forces more games without fans.

[bkox]

Collective Bargaining Issues: Draft Lottery

[andyb]

Where we are. Hint - don't schedule your fantasy drafts for the last week in March.

With spring training likely to be delayed, here’s why MLB and the Players...

[bkox]

Today’s 90-minute meeting between MLB, MLBPA was heated. Some owners and players participated. The MLBPA made moves in two areas: service-time manipulation, and pre-arb bonus pool (dropped request from $105 million to $100 million). TBD when next core economics meeting will be.

— Evan Drellich ( @EvanDrellich ) February 1, 2022

On other proposal the MLBPA modified, service-time manipulation, union dropped the number of players who would be awarded a full year of service time. Previous proposal (below) was to give service to players in top 30 or top 10 by WAR depending on position. Now: top 20, or top 7 pic.twitter.com/cSbTgHxj48

— Evan Drellich ( @EvanDrellich ) February 1, 2022

On service-time manipulation proposal as well: The MLBPA also newly incorporated (and modified) an element of MLB’s service-time manipulation: potentially rewarding a draft pick to a team

— Evan Drellich ( @EvanDrellich ) February 1, 2022

[bkox]

Sources confirm: MLB has asked for federal mediation in bargaining talks. Would have to be agreed to by Players Association. It is a voluntary process. First reported @JeffPassan

— Evan Drellich ( @EvanDrellich ) February 3, 2022

Sources: MLB has told the MLBPA it will not make a counter offer after MLB two days ago saying it would.

— Evan Drellich ( @EvanDrellich ) February 3, 2022

[andyb]

I am all for mediation though I doubt what they are asking for is binding. Since MLB's offers don't really keep up with inflation and much less revenues, they really would have a lot to lose with binding arbitration. I think they are angling for a system where most differences are split 50-50 and I think that would be a big win for MLB since it would essentially lock in their victories from the previous 2 CBAs (i.e. with player compensation rising much slower than revenues).

[zambonir]

It is not at all binding. It's like going to counseling, then maybe they go back to their lawyers (such as it is) with more common ground.

It's also just kind of a PR move. MLB trying paint the players as impossible to negotiate with.

I was thinking of starting a "When will Opening Day really be?" poll. Realizing that things could pick up speed quickly, but at the very least I'd have a June option on there. Before COVID I really did expect there to be at least a half-season lost. But it's still not clear if there's more urgency or less because of it.

[bkox]

Sources: MLBPA tomorrow likely to reject federal mediation. Story from earlier: https://t.co/ZnNkkKBNvY

— Evan Drellich ( @EvanDrellich ) February 4, 2022

[Aquapong]

I can get behind the players union supporting better treatment/wages for minor leaguers. Beyond that, it seems to a lot of fans that millionaires are arguing with billionaires about money. They are going to alienate a lot of people in a time where people who actually pay both the millionaires and billionaires are struggling with inflation to begin with. It’s kind of tone deaf by both sides.

[VoteForKalas]

Why does it appear the player's union is the only side giving concessions?

[Philsmania]

I have tickets to Opening Day but, at this point, I am not expecting to use them. Interestingly, the Phillies did not send season ticket holders a calendar this year again, perhaps because--I suspect--they don't know what the schedule will look like. Or, it's also possible that it's a season ticket holder perk that's gone by the wayside like the holiday fair they used to do every December (they would basically open the ballpark up, attendees could go pretty much anwhere--the clubhouse, the broadcast booth, you name it--and there were Q&A's hosted by Chris Wheeler with the manager, GM and farm director).