NEW YORK — Four MLB owners — the Reds’ Bob Castellini, Tigers’ Chris Ilitch, Diamondbacks’ Ken Kendrick, and Angels’ Arte Moreno — objected to the league’s proposal to raise the competitive balance tax, making it clear that getting 23 owners and the union to agree to a deal will be challenging.
The four No votes on MLB’s “best and final” offer were reported by The Athletic and SNY.
Major League Baseball made its intended proposal anyway, offering $220 million, which was an elevation from their previous offers and $10 million higher than it was in 2021, but still well below the players’ ask of $238 million. These four owners now firmly represent the idea that they are not budging on perhaps the greatest issue still holding things up. The players have also shown that they are not too keen on changing their own stances, making the next few weeks feel like they’ll be fruitless.
