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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Dec 1, 2021 4:10:21 GMT -5
Opposing side talk, but Major League Baseball seems headed toward first work stoppage in 26 years By Michael Silverman Globe Staff,Updated November 30, 2021, 11:32 p.m.
IRVING, Texas — If the plush confines of the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas mark the spot where the first Major League Baseball work stoppage in 26 years begins, the irony won’t be lost on anyone.
A $10 billion-plus industry that has enjoyed steady and nearly uninterrupted revenue growth over the last decade and a half and just doled out nearly $2 billion in free agent contracts and contract extensions this month pushed itself to the brink of a lockout Tuesday.
Barring a dramatic and unexpected narrowing of the sizable gap in stances between owners and players, the Major League Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement will expire at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday. Shortly after it does, the expectation remains for the owners to call for a lockout that would freeze the hot-stove season and all business operations.
There is also a scenario where owners could decide to postpone calling a lockout and continue holding talks with the union. To date, talks here have gathered little traction and left participants unimpressed with the other side’s flexibility and willingness to compromise on core economic issues.
Members of the owners’ labor policy committee, including Red Sox principal owner (and owner of the Globe) John Henry and Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner, and negotiators from the commissioner’s office, including commissioner Rob Manfred, flew to Dallas on Sunday in order to hold last-hour face-to-face talks over competing proposals. Approximately 60 players are in attendance for their annual meetings, which happen to be scheduled at the same time negotiations theoretically should be reaching their pinnacle.
The MLB contingent met Monday with the players for two hours. On Tuesday, it arrived at the hotel for a morning session when it received a counterproposal from players. That exchange lasted roughly 30 minutes, but the owners and negotiators returned to the hotel mid-afternoon for more meetings. Their initial meeting with the players lasted 35 minutes before the sides split up to caucus internally.
At one point, MLBPA chief negotiator Bruce Meyer, accompanied by player executive subcommittee member Andrew Miller, poked his head into the owners’ conference room. Out came MLB deputy commissioner and chief negotiator Dan Halem and Rockies owner and labor policy committee chair Dick Monfort. The foursome met for approximately 45 minutes. In all, the owners stayed for a little more than 2½ hours at the hotel before departing.
On the way out, Halem told reporters, “See you later,” but nobody from either side delivered an update on progress, or lack of it, in talks. The sides plan to resume talks Wednesday.
The announcement of a lockout would surely spark a storm of negative reaction, but, given the calendar, the bark of a lockout would be worse than its bite.
All free agent signings and trades would be forbidden. The major league portion of the annual winter meetings would be canceled. Spring training facilities would be shuttered, meaning players using them for rehab and conditioning would have to go elsewhere. General managers, owners, managers, and coaches would not be allowed to speak about players to the media.
From the perspective of casual fans, none of the above is all that relevant or impactful. It’s also not especially damaging to either the players (most of whom start getting paid when the season starts) and owners (who might suffer from a late start on selling tickets). That’s why a lockout that begins in early December is more of a tactical weapon employed by the owners meant to spur negotiations before the calendar advances much further.
At the owners’ meetings in Chicago in mid-November, Manfred said fans understand that an offseason lockout is not the same as a labor dispute that cancels games.
“Symbolically, it’s a big deal, but in terms of practical implications, it’s not as much of a big deal as people might think,” said Nathaniel Grow, associate professor of business law and ethics at Indiana University.
The symbolic power is no small matter. Labor peace has reigned since the 1994-95 stoppage that wiped out the 1994 World Series and shortened the 1995 season. Since imposing a lockout is a decision and not a necessity, the debate over the impact of a lockout on the legacy of Manfred would become fair game.
”That remains to be seen,” said Grow of Manfred’s legacy. “If this is a two-week leverage play by the owners, I don’t think anyone will be that riled up, and may be a blip on the radar. If it lasts through the middle of next season, then who will the fans blame?”
Historically, millionaire players playing a kids’ game have gathered the brunt of fans’ scorn with the billionaire owners somehow escaping the worst judgment. More than a quarter-century after the last baseball stoppage, it remains to be seen if the public will be more pro-labor than before.
Owners are, broadly speaking, far more content with the current economic system than the players. MLB would like expanded playoffs, to add an international draft, and to implement rule changes with support from the players.
The players, on the other hand, seek bigger changes. They have been unhappy with the trend, spurred by cost-efficient analytics, of teams favoring younger players, many of whom are far away from free agency, and can frequently be paid less for production that rivals older players. Related: Fenway Sports Group agrees to purchase Penguins, leaving just NHL owners’ approval before deal is official
In addition, incentivizing winning in the next CBA is high on the players’ wish list. That would mean a change to the draft pick system in which the worst teams receive the highest picks.
So far, owners’ counterproposals, such as establishing a payroll floor but also lowering the top luxury-tax threshold and allowing all players to become free agents at the age of 29½, have not moved the needle.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Dec 1, 2021 13:59:42 GMT -5
Latest On Collective Bargaining Negotiations
By Mark Polishuk | December 1, 2021 at 12:46pm CDT
Negotiators from Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association continue to meet this afternoon, though there is still an expectation that the league will commence with a lockout as soon as the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires at 10:59 CT tonight. Several reports have suggested that the two sides are far enough on several core issues that there is virtually no chance that an actual deal could be reached prior to the deadline, yet that doesn’t mean progress couldn’t still be made as the baseball world enters a work stoppage and a transactions freeze.
In response to the league’s most recent proposal of a 14-team playoff field, the MLBPA has responded with a new proposal of its own, according to ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers. The union’s latest offer would increase the playoff field to 10 to 12 teams, and also involve a huge overhaul of the current three-division alignment in the AL and NL. Under this new idea, each league would have 15 teams split into two divisions — one with seven teams and one with eight teams — and six AL and NL clubs apiece heading to the postseason.
The union’s proposal also included such notable details as advertising patches to be worn on jerseys, and more big-picture changes to baseball’s revenue-sharing system, the free agent system, and the arbitration process. As well, the MLBPA are looking for a substantial increase in the luxury tax threshold, up to $240MM from the 2021 threshold of $210MM.
Looking at these last two proposals between the two sides, there does appear to be some room for common ground on at least a couple of fronts, even if many of the larger issues remain harder to solve. For instance, it would seem like the postseason will probably end up being expanded in some form, with the specific size to be determined. Also, while one of management’s proposals back in August involved lowering the luxury tax threshold to $180MM and installing a salary floor of $100MM, that idea seems to have been scrapped, based on natural resistance from the union. As per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, MLB’s last proposal involved the idea of the luxury tax line once again being raised by a slight extent, though it wasn’t clear if the threshold would continue to be increased on an annual basis (as in the current CBA).
Therefore, it seems reasonable to speculate that the next CBA will include an elevated luxury tax threshold of some kind, even if the $30MM jump desired by the union doesn’t happen. Left unknown, of course, is what types of penalties will be faced by teams that exceed the tax threshold, as the current system penalty system (an increasingly surchage on the overage and, at maximum, a drop in the draft order and international draft pool subtractions) have already proven to be deterrents to a large portion of baseball’s teams. The MLBPA, of course, would want to see lesser or even no penalties at all in order to create more incentive for teams to spend on roster upgrades.
“When you look at how the 2016 CBA agreement and how that has worked over the past five years, as players, we see major problems in it,” Max Scherzer told The Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes (Twitter links) and other reporters. “Specifically, first and foremost, we see a competition problem and how teams are behaving because of certain rules that are within that. Adjustments have to be made to bring up the competition. As players, that’s critical to us to have a highly competitive league, and when we don’t have that, we have issues.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Dec 1, 2021 14:13:47 GMT -5
Stephanie Apstein @stephapstein · 57m "A lockout seems like that's a very likely scenario," says Max Scherzer, who is a member of MLBPA leadership. Says that contributed to his decision to sign early.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Dec 1, 2021 15:32:45 GMT -5
MLB is headed for a work stoppage. We’re answering 15 big questions about it By Michael Silverman Globe Staff,Updated December 1, 2021, 10:30 a.m.
With the collective bargaining agreement between MLB players and owners expiring at 11:59 p.m. EST on Wednesday, the threat of the first baseball labor stoppage in 26 years is imminent.
If it happens, free agent signings and trades would be forbidden. The major league portion of the annual winter meetings would be canceled. Spring training facilities would be shuttered, meaning players using them for rehab and conditioning would have to go elsewhere. General managers, owners, managers, and coaches would not be allowed to speak about players to the media.
Here are some answers to questions about what’s at stake, how baseball reached this point, and who’s charged with striking or whiffing on a peace pact:
Is a lockout as bad as it sounds?
Not necessarily, although it’s certainly not a positive development. It’s a pressure tactic from the owners to get a deal done so next season can start on time and as usual — meaning teams can sell tickets and players can get paid.
What about a players’ strike or walkout?
That’s the players’ pressure tactic, although one they would not need to exercise before the start of spring training or the start of the regular season. Would the players actually strike?
The success or failure of the negotiations may ultimately hinge on how seriously owners view the players’ unity and determination to forgo their paychecks to bring about change. Indications from the players point to them being far more determined than they were five years ago to walk out or strike. If that happens, then what?
A wedge will emerge eventually in the owners’ or players’ unity, and it’s way too early to predict where the division will occur. How will fans react?
That’s highly predictable. They will hate it, just like in 1994-95, during the last work stoppage.
Who is more susceptible to public pressure?
Give the nod here to owners, who are already ultra-concerned with the aging demographics of their fan base. The sport is trying hard and thinking creatively about how to reach younger fans. It’s too soon to say if it has hit on the right formula, especially with ongoing attempts at rule changes to shorten game lengths and increase offense. Piling a work stoppage on top of a pandemic year and subsequent recovery may be a tall order for 30 owners to accept.
What is the players’ biggest concern?
In short, players think their salaries are not keeping pace with owners’ revenues.
In an era where gross revenues of baseball were on a 16-year climb until the pandemic — topping out at $10.7 billion in 2019, according to Forbes — revenues devoted to player compensation at the major league level have flattened and dropped.
Teams tanking and underpaying younger players are a central concern, and players see the two as closely connected.
Thanks to real-life, analytics-inspired results, teams covet younger talent more than ever while they are shying away from expensive long-term contracts for older free agents. The amateur draft is the main source for that young talent, and teams with poorer records get first crack at the best of that talent pool. As those players blossom, sometimes well before they have played the six-year minimum to become a free agent, teams don’t have to pay free agent premiums. As a result, overall payroll spending goes down. So, what will the players ask for?
They seek a reduction, likely two or three years, in the number of years it takes for a player to become a free agent. They want salary arbitration to begin after the second year, rather than the third. They want to close the loophole that allows teams to manipulate service time, a trick that essentially tacks an extra year of service before hitting free agency. They want to revise the draft rules that currently guarantee high picks for low-finishing teams.
They also want a higher competitive balance tax. In the last CBA, they were only able to negotiate an increase from $195 million in the first year to $210 million this year.
The players also want a universal DH. There’s more, but those are the main components.
What do the owners want in the next CBA?
What they’ve got, plus expanded playoffs and an international draft.
Seriously, is that it?
The owners are playing defense with the current CBA — the players want major changes, the owners want minor ones. The owners have proposed, according to The Athletic and New York Post, a lower CBT of $180 million with stiffer penalties plus a payroll floor of $100 million that also comes with penalties, automatic free agency when a player turns 29½ years old, and elimination of arbitration. How do the players feel about expanded playoffs?
They’re not wild about them, since it gets back to their competition argument — if it’s easier to get into the playoffs than ever, a team doesn’t have to try as hard (and spend as much) to make the postseason. But there’s the potential for more revenue for players with more playoff games.
How much did the pandemic mess with these negotiations?
Like every other segment of everyone’s lives, a lot. Last summer’s public dispute over how many games to play arose from private negotiations held over Zoom, which could not have helped what are usually face-to-face negotiations. The players lost around 63 percent of their salaries, with the owners claiming roughly the same drop in gross revenues in 2020.
But that’s in the past, right?
It’s not. The union filed a grievance for $500 million, claiming the owners acted in “bad faith” by not agreeing to play more than 60 games. That case has yet to be heard by an arbitrator. A resolution one way or another before Dec. 1 will make one side happier than the other. A delay may turn the case into a bargaining chip for the players, since the owners won’t want to get stuck with that hefty bill. Who are the key figures for MLB?
On the owners’ side, Rob Manfred will oversee his second CBA negotiation as commissioner, after helping out predecessor Bud Selig on this front since 1987. Directing all collective bargaining for MLB like Manfred once did is Dan Halem, deputy commissioner, baseball administration & chief legal officer.
Owners Dick Monfort of the Rockies and Ron Fowler of the Padres are among those actively involved on the Labor Policy Committee. John Henry, principal owner of the Red Sox (he owns the Globe, too), also sits on the labor committee. The MLBPA?
For the players, former player Tony Clark serves as the executive director. The lead negotiator, Bruce Meyer, who was hired after the last CBA, serves as the association’s senior director, collective bargaining & legal. Assorted lawyers, economists, and staff lawyers will participate in sessions depending on the topic of the day.
Some of the player reps who might wind up playing a leading role include Andrew Miller, Max Scherzer, James Paxton, and Gerrit Cole. In addition to the 30 team representatives, the association has an eight-member executive committee of active players.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Dec 1, 2021 15:43:53 GMT -5
by the way folks it is gonna be a long one
No More Negotiations Scheduled Between Owners, Players Prior To CBA Expiration
By Mark Polishuk | December 1, 2021 at 2:04pm CDT
2:04PM: This afternoon’s session between the two sides concluded after seven minutes, according to ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan (Twitter links). There won’t be any more negotiations today, and the lockout is expected to begin this evening once the current CBA officially expires.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Dec 1, 2021 17:41:23 GMT -5
Jon Heyman @jonheyman · 39m It can’t hurt that the union and MLB met in Dallas but there was no progress made. The one positive: time is on their side since the season isn’t scheduled to start for 4 months.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Dec 1, 2021 19:14:48 GMT -5
Evan Drellich @evandrellich · 2h As talks break off between MLB and the Players Association, the most divisive issues include revenue sharing, years to free agency and arbitration
Some details: MLB offered to raise 1st luxury tax tier to $214m, peaking at $220m
MLBPA free agency proposal: Year 1 of deal, no change, 6 years service to become FA Years 2-3: 6 years—or if age 30 1/2 & 5 years of service Years 4-5: 6 years—or if age 29 1/2 & 5 years service
Note that the raised CBT thresholds MLB proposed would come with an increase in the penalties for exceeding the thresholds
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Dec 1, 2021 21:14:03 GMT -5
Evan Drellich @evandrellich · 2h As talks break off between MLB and the Players Association, the most divisive issues include revenue sharing, years to free agency and arbitration
Some details: MLB offered to raise 1st luxury tax tier to $214m, peaking at $220m
MLBPA free agency proposal: Year 1 of deal, no change, 6 years service to become FA Years 2-3: 6 years—or if age 30 1/2 & 5 years of service Years 4-5: 6 years—or if age 29 1/2 & 5 years service
Note that the raised CBT thresholds MLB proposed would come with an increase in the penalties for exceeding the thresholds MLB is too low. I think one or two years of 3% increases would be appropriate. I particular like the player proposal. Years 4-5 only kick in if you debut at age 24.5. You're probably not a star if you debut that late.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Dec 1, 2021 21:16:44 GMT -5
Historically, millionaire players playing a kids’ game have gathered the brunt of fans’ scorn with the billionaire owners somehow escaping the worst judgment. ========================================== The issue is that it a whole easier to get a stupid quote from 1 of 750 players than from one of thirty owners.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Dec 2, 2021 3:18:43 GMT -5
Major League Baseball Institutes Lockout
By Anthony Franco and Tim Dierkes | December 1, 2021 at 11:39pm CDT
Major League Baseball has officially instituted a lockout. The 2016-21 collective bargaining agreement between MLB owners and the players’ union expired at 10:59pm central time tonight. It has long been clear that Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association would not have a new deal signed before the current contract ran its course. With no agreement reached, the league’s owners unanimously voted to institute a lockout, according to a report from Jon Heyman of the MLB Network (Twitter link).
Commissioner Rob Manfred announced the lockout as part of a pre-prepared letter to fans (full text available here), Manfred wrote in part:
“Simply put, we believe that an offseason lockout is the best mechanism to protect the 2022 season. We hope that the lockout will jumpstart the negotiations and get us to an agreement that will allow the season to start on time. This defensive lockout was necessary because the Players Association’s vision for Major League Baseball would threaten the ability of most teams to be competitive. It’s simply not a viable option. From the beginning, the MLBPA has been unwilling to move from their starting position, compromise, or collaborate on solutions.”
Manfred went on to state that the MLBPA “came to the bargaining table with a strategy of confrontation over compromise” and “never wavered from collectively the most extreme set of proposals in their history, including significant cuts to the revenue-sharing system, a weakening of the competitive balance tax, and shortening the period of time that players play for their teams. All of these changes would make our game less competitive, not more.”
The MLB Players Association released a statement of its own (on Twitter). It reads in part:
“Major League Baseball has announced a lockout of Players, shutting down our industry. This shutdown is a dramatic measure, regardless of the timing. It is not required by law or for any other reason. It was the owners’ choice, plain and simple, specifically calculate to pressure Players into relinquishing rights and benefits, and abandoning good faith bargaining proposals that will benefit not just Players, but the game and industry as a whole. … We remain determined to return to the field under the terms of a negotiated collective bargaining agreement that is fair to all parties, and provides fans with the best version of the game we all love.”
As the MLBPA suggested, the league was not under a mandate to lock the players out. Even in the absence of a CBA, the offseason could have proceeded. As MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes explored a few months ago, the sides continued to conduct offseason business during the last winters (1993-94 and 94-95) that proceeded without a CBA in place.
There’s been little expectation MLB wouldn’t institute a lockout once this CBA expired, however. Locking out in the absence of an agreement has become the typical practice in other professional sports leagues, as management hasn’t wanted to afford players the choice whether to go on strike at a later date. The players eventually went on strike during the 1994 season, for example, spurred on by ownership’s imposition of a salary cap. The sides didn’t reach a new agreement that year, and that season’s World Series was ultimately cancelled.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred implied the league would take this course of action a few weeks ago. Pointing to the ’94 strike and other sports leagues as justification, Manfred indicated a lockout would be on the table if no agreement were hammered out by December 1. “I don’t think ’94 worked out too great for anybody,” the commissioner told reporters earlier this month. “I think when you look at other sports, the pattern has become to control the timing of the labor dispute and try to minimize the prospect of actual disruption of the season. That’s what it’s about: It’s avoiding doing damage to the season.”
With the lockout in place, teams will be prohibited from making any major league transactions until a new CBA is agreed upon. We’ve seen a flurry of activity — particularly via free agency — in the days leading up to the CBA expiration in response, as many clubs and players have wanted to pin down some certainty before a potential work stoppage.
A transactions freeze will be the most visible semblance of the lockout for fans, at least until the potential for game cancellations if no deal is agreed upon within a couple months. A ban on transactions is certainly not the only effect, however. Jeff Passan of ESPN explored some intricacies of the situation earlier this week in a piece that’s well worth a full read. A few of the less visible effects: injured players will not be allowed to communicate with team training staffs, players are no longer allowed to use team-run mental health services, and some foreign-born players may run into visa issues. Don’t expect press conferences for newly signed players or interviews with GMs, either.
The lockout is unfamiliar territory for a generation of baseball fans; this is the first work stoppage in this website’s 16-year history. It’ll mark the first official work stoppage since 1994, snapping a run of nearly three decades of labor peace. The parties had discussions each day this week, but it doesn’t seem they made much progress. Evan Drellich of the Athletic reported this afternoon that the league refused to make a counter-offer on the service time structure and luxury tax thresholds unless the MLBPA dropped its efforts to push earlier free agency eligibility for players, a demand the union reportedly refused.
The league did give some ground on the competitive balance tax, with Drellich reporting MLB proposed a gradual increase of the lowest tax threshold to an endpoint of $220MM. However, that remains a fair bit shy of the MLBPA’s $240MM goal, and it’s not clear if the league’s proposed increase also involved a corresponding uptick in penalties paid for exceeding those markers.
There’s certainly plenty to be hammered out beyond the luxury tax. The service time system, arbitration and fundamental competitive structure of the league (including the number of playoff teams) will all at least be discussed over the coming weeks. That’s saying nothing of potential on-field rules changes like the extra-inning runner and the universal designated hitter. With so much yet to be determined, it’s generally not expected an agreement will be reached in short order. The 2022 spring training schedule could potentially dictate when the lockout ends, with owners likely reluctant to forgo exhibition game revenue.
The Winter Meetings, originally scheduled for December 6 through 9 in Orlando, have been cancelled, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN (Twitter link). The commissioner is scheduled to conduct a press conference tomorrow morning.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Dec 2, 2021 3:32:54 GMT -5
Jon Heyman @jonheyman · 3h MLB has implemented the lockout. Player signings and trades (and negotiations) are halted, CBA talks come to the forefront. A lot of work to do,
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Dec 2, 2021 3:33:17 GMT -5
Evan Drellich @evandrellich · 2h Tony Clark statement: “This drastic & unnecessary measure will not affect the Players’ resolve to reach a fair contract. We remain committed to negotiating a new CBA that enhances competition, improves the product for our fans, & advances the rights & benefits of our membership"
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Dec 2, 2021 3:34:37 GMT -5
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Dec 2, 2021 3:35:30 GMT -5
Jeff Passan @jeffpassan · 2h For anyone wondering how long this lockout has been in the offing … wrote this five years ago today.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Dec 2, 2021 3:41:33 GMT -5
FAQ on the CBA negotiations 1:06 AM AST
0:29
10:14
Q: Why did MLB lock out the players?
A: Simply put, we believe that an offseason lockout is the best mechanism to protect the 2022 Championship Season. We hope that the lockout will jump-start the negotiations and get us to an agreement that will allow the season to start on time. This defensive lockout was necessary because the Players Association’s vision for Major League Baseball would threaten the ability of most teams to be competitive. It’s simply not a viable option. Yet, from the beginning, they have been unwilling to move from their starting position, compromise or collaborate on solutions.
To be clear: This does not necessarily mean games will be cancelled. In fact, we’re taking this step now because it accelerates the urgency for an agreement with as much runway as possible to avoid doing damage to the 2022 season. Delaying this process further would only put Spring Training, Opening Day and the rest of the season further at risk – and we cannot allow an expired agreement to again cause an in-season strike and a missed World Series, like we experienced in 1994. We all owe you, our fans, better than that.
To put things into perspective, across the last 40 years of collective bargaining negotiations, games have only been missed during seasons that began without a Basic Agreement in place. In offseasons when MLB was forced to implement a work stoppage, no games were missed.
Q: How did we end up at this point?
A: We worked tirelessly over the last several months to find compromise, offering to make the current system even better for players, and attempting to address concerns raised by the Players Association. We offered to establish a minimum payroll for all clubs to meet for the first time in baseball history; to allow the majority of players to reach free agency earlier through an age-based system that would eliminate the Players Association’s concern about alleged “service-time manipulation”; and to increase compensation for younger players, including a historic increase to the minimum salary for players with one or two years of Major League service. In an attempt to spur negotiations towards an agreement, we told the Players Association that we were willing to extend the Designated Hitter to the National League; to create a new draft lottery system, similar to those employed by other leagues; and to increase the luxury-tax threshold that affects only a small number of teams. The lockout does not affect our resolve to work with the Players Association to reach a fair agreement and provide our fans with baseball as soon as possible.
Q: Will there be a 2022 season?
A: Giving fans a full 2022 season is exactly what we will spend every day working hard to achieve.
Q: Can I still buy tickets?
A: Yes, teams will continue selling and disseminating tickets for the 2022 season as we continue to plan for a full regular season without disruption.
Q: What happens to the tickets that I already have? Can I get a refund?
A: There is currently no disruption or impact on the tickets you currently possess. Refund policies are handled on an individual team-by-team basis.
Q: How does this impact free agency and other player transactions?
A: During a work stoppage, teams are not permitted to sign free agents, offer contract extensions and renegotiations, waive/option/release players, or conduct trades. Additionally, salary arbitration and the Major League Rule 5 Draft have been put on hold pending a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Q: When will remaining free agents be able to sign contracts?
A: We are working hard to compromise and find solutions to reach an agreement. Once a new deal is signed, there will be ample time for remaining free agents to sign new contracts.
Q: Will Spring Training start on time?
A: We are still currently planning for Spring Training to start on time and for a full 2022 season without disruption and will spend every day working around the clock to achieve that goal.
Q: Can players hold their own practices and workouts?
A: Players are allowed to work out on their own and may follow a team’s workout plans that were developed prior to the work stoppage, but they are not allowed to share updates with or receive feedback from coaches or trainers about their offseason training, including strength and conditioning activities. Team personnel are also prohibited from providing instructional videos or other aids for players to use on their own.
Q: Can players still access certain resources provided by teams?
A: Yes. Teams can continue to provide players with human resources-type support, including mental health resources along with advice and assistance with respect to COVID-19 testing, vaccinations and/or treatment.
Q: Are players still getting paid?
A: Players don’t get paid during the offseason. During a work stoppage, teams are precluded from making any payments or providing anything else of value to players, with the exception of compensation earned and vested prior to the work stoppage (e.g., deferred compensation, signing bonuses, termination pay and option buyouts).
Q: Will players still make appearances on Club programming or events?
A: During a work stoppage, players are not allowed to appear at any team event or participate in any team programming across any broadcast or media channels, including social media.
Q: What does this mean for the Minor Leagues?
A: The 2022 Minor League season -- and players who are not on the 40-man roster, or signed to a Major League contract -- will be unaffected. Minor League teams will continue to hold minicamps, Minor League Spring Training, and extended spring training for these players. Teams are continuing to adhere to the terms of all Professional Development League License Agreements with their affiliates and will be operating their Minor League operations uninterrupted.
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