With the Major League Baseball up against a self-imposed deadline to reach a labor agreement that would allow the 2022 season to start on time, management and the MLB Players Association engaged in a daylong series of negotiating sessions on Monday in Jupiter, Fla.
And as midnight local time passed, with the sides in their 11th session of the day in an effort to reach a settlement that would end the owner-imposed lockout, signs of progress emerged.
USA Today reported with less than 30 minutes before the deadline that the two sides agreed to a 12-team postseason and the owners agreed to a luxury tax similar to the system in place in the previous collective-bargaining agreement.
As of midnight ET, USA Today was alone in reporting of those specifics. But all reporting late in the evening indicated the two sides worked throughout the day to make the deadline.
Opening Day is scheduled for March 31, and MLB had stated previously that a deal had to be reached before the end of February to ensure a full-length spring training could be held ahead of the regular season.
The league has insisted that lost games will not be made up, meaning the 2022 season could feature fewer than 162 games per team if a timely settlement isn’t achieved.
The Athletic and ESPN reported that the owners suggested to players that MLB is willing to cancel up to a month’s worth of games.
“Players are used to their ‘threats,'” New York Yankees starting pitcher Jameson Taillon wrote on Twitter. “Owners actions have made it clear all along that they have a set (number) of games where they still make profits/get TV money. They don’t want to play. It’s sad that these are the guys who drive the direction and ‘future’ of our amazing sport.”
Although Sunday’s extended negotiations were perceived as positive, the players and owners reportedly were far apart on multiple issues, including minimum salaries, the competitive balance tax, expanding Super-2 arbitration eligibility, revenue sharing, expanded playoffs and a bonus pool for pre-arbitration players.
Spring training did not start on time at its usual sites across Florida and Arizona. Once a new labor deal is finalized, players likely will not have as much time to ramp up and get back into game shape as normal.
According to multiple reports, the MLBPA has organized a “fully staffed” stadium and facility in Mesa, Ariz., where players can train during the work stoppage, with a Florida location also likely in the works.
Earlier Monday, MLB.TV announced it would not renew customers’ season packages for television or audio until a new CBA goes into effect.
