MLB and MLBPA are reportedly scheduled to meet on Monday, their second meeting since the lockout began on Dec. 2, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
The union will reportedly present a counterproposal to the league’s offer from last week, which the MLBPA previously rejected. However, unlike the previous meeting, the two will reportedly meet in-person.
The league and the MLBPA could not reach a new collective bargaining agreement before Dec. 2, leading to the sport’s first work stoppage in 26 years. When the lockout became official, commissioner Rob Manfred released a letter to fans, saying that the players have been unwilling to bend during negotiations. The MLBPA released a statement upon the start of the lockout, calling it a “dramatic measure” and stating its intent to reach a new agreement that is fair to all parties.
Per ESPN, the players association’s rejection to the initial proposal from the league was expected—and it was not a positive reaction. The deal reportedly included a 14-team playoff and the creation of the universal designated hitter, among other details, according to Sportsnet Canada’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold respectively.
