Rob Manfred promised a “good proposal” Saturday, as Major League Baseball returned to the bargaining table opposite the MLB Players Association. The general reaction from players who were locked out by the commissioner on Dec. 2: Not good enough.
And now, not only is spring training all but certain to be delayed, but an on-time start to the regular season may be in peril.
In the parties’ first meeting on core economics in 11 days, representatives of MLB and the owners made a wide-ranging proposal that moved slightly in the players’ direction, though still nowhere near the midpoint between the sides, on minimum salary, the competitive-balance (luxury) tax threshold, and a bonus pool for entry-level (pre-arbitration) players, among other issues, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the talks. The union is expected to review the offer and decide on next steps, but sources characterized the players as underwhelmed by the changes.
