MLB cancels 93 more games, gap narrows in bargaining - The Globe and Mail

Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred cancelled 93 more games Wednesday, appearing to close the remaining chance to play a full 162-game schedule and threatening locked out players with loss of salary and service time.

After the sides narrowed many economic differences and became bogged down over management’s attempt to gain an international amateur draft, MLB announced two additional series had been canceled through April 13. That raised the total to 184 games wiped out from the 2,430-game regular season, or 7.6 per cent.

“Because of the logistical realities of the calendar, another two series are being removed from the schedule, meaning that opening day is postponed until April 14,” Manfred said.

The union’s latest counteroffer was hand delivered by chief negotiator Bruce Meyer to MLB’s office after he walked three blocks through a wintry mix from union headquarters.

While the gaps narrowed on the luxury tax, pre-arbitration bonus pool and minimum salary, management continued to press for its long-held goal of an international amateur draft. Players have repeatedly rejected the proposal since it was made on July 28.

“The owners’ decision to cancel additional games is completely unnecessary,” the union said in a statement. “After making a set of comprehensive proposals to the league earlier this afternoon and being told substantive responses were forthcoming, players have yet to hear back.”

MLB said it would not make a new counteroffer to players unless the union first chose one of three options: agreeing to the international draft in exchange for the elimination of direct amateur draft pick compensation for qualified free agents; keeping compensation in exchange for MLB dropping the international draft proposal; or dropping compensation while giving players until Nov. 15 to accept an international draft starting in 2024 while giving MLB the right to re-open the labour contract after the 2024 season if players fail to accept the draft.

On the 98th day of baseball’s first work stoppage since 1995, the last alternative would leave open the possibility of another labour conflict in less than three years between parties that regard each other with disdain.

Players rejected all three options and instead proposed to drop compensation for this year, have the sides agree to a draft by Nov. 15 or then revert to compensation for the 2022-23 offseason.

“In a last-ditch effort to preserve a 162-game season, this week we have made good-faith proposals that address the specific concerns voiced by the MLBPA and would have allowed the players to return to the field immediately,” Manfred said. “The clubs went to extraordinary lengths to meet the substantial demands of the MLBPA. On the key economic issues that have posed stumbling blocks, the clubs proposed ways to bridge gaps to preserve a full schedule. Regrettably, after our second late-night bargaining session in a week, we remain without a deal.”

Players dropped their threshold for the luxury tax to US$232-million this year, with increases to US$235-million in 2023, US$240-million in 2024 and US$245-million in 2025 and US$250-million in 2026.

Players had been at US$238-million to US$263-million in their previous proposal of a week earlier. They were within 2.5 per cent of management’s starting figure of US$230-million in Tuesday’s proposal. Players were within 3.2 per cent of MLB’s US$242-million for 2026.

Management’s desire for an additional fourth tax threshold at US$60-million above the first threshold is among the contentious points remaining.

Players dropped to US$65-million from $80-million for their proposed bonus pool for pre-arbitration-eligible players, a day after MLB raised its offer from US$30-million to US$40-million. The union is asking for US$5-million annual increases, while management’s offer is the same for all five years.

The union dropped its proposed minimum salary to US$710,000 from US$725,000, a figure rising to US$780,000 by 2026. Management is at US$700,000 this year, rising to US$770,000. The union’s proposals on the tax threshold and bonus pool were first reported by The Athletic.

In the proposal for an international draft, teams would rotate picking in different quadrants of the first round over a four-year period, A slotting system would be installed similar to what the union agreed to starting in 2012 for the amateur draft covering residents of the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada.

The international draft proposal includes hard slots that could not be negotiated by individuals. MLB estimates US$17-million in additional spending for the drafted international players above the US$166.3-million spent by the 30 teams in 2021, plus an additional US$6-million on non-drafted players. The draft would start in 2024.

International players would lose the right to pick which team they sign with. The age for the draft would be in the year a player turns 16.

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MLB cancels 93 more games, gap narrows in bargaining - The Globe and Mail
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