MLB, MLBPA resumed CBA talks Thursday although progress was minimal, per report
Those looking for big progress towards ending MLB’s work stoppage on Thursday are likely going to be disappointing.
Through the last month or so, the most jarring fact about MLB’s lock-out hasn’t been the positions that MLB and MLBPA have taken, it has been that they haven’t been talking at all. The deafening silence through the holidays well into January has not bode well for the future of the CBA talks and the 2022 season in general.
Fortunately, we got word early this week that the two sides were planning to meet today with the league expected to finally make a proposal regarding the core economic issues in the CBA. While no one expected a deal to get done today, it was at least reassuring that the two sides were actually talking. That said, those talks today were...well, not particularly productive.
Baseball labor update: There is no deal. There never was going to be one today. MLB made a proposal. The reaction among the players was not positive. Few on either side expected it to be. The question is how soon the MLBPA counters. Spring training starting on time is in peril.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 13, 2022
Multiple reports have stated that the league’s proposal today featured little in the way of changes and the biggest takeaway was that the two sides were actually on the topic. It is unclear when MLBPA will counter with a proposal of their own. If the player’s union expected this sort of proposal, one would think they would have a strategy to deploy fairly quickly.
One thing remains certain in these talks and that is that neither side is going to approach making their best offer until they absolutely have to. One doubts that either side views the regular start of spring training as a firm deadline, but one hopes that both sides understand that losing regular season games would deal a lot of damage to the sport.