Major League Baseball announced the cancellation of all spring training and the first two regular-season series of the season after the league and the MLB Players Association were unable to come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement.
MLB locked out its players after the current collective bargaining agreement expired on Dec. 2. After not meeting for the entire month of December, the two sides met sporadically in January and ramped up talks throughout the past month as the MLB imposed a deadline of Feb. 28 to reach a deal.
Things seemed to be trending in the right direction as MLB and the MLBPA met for each of the past nine straight days. MLB pushed the deadline ahead late last night to try to get a deal done and made their “best, final offer” on Tuesday afternoon.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that one player called the proposal “a slap in the face,” and the union unanimously rejected the offer.
“From the beginning of these negotiations, Players’ objectives have been consistent — to promote competition, provide fair compensation for young Players and to uphold the integrity of our market system,” The MLBPA said in a statement. “Against the backdrop of growing revenues and record profits, we are seeking nothing more than a fair agreement.”
Passan reports that some of the issues that the two sides are negotiating are the amount of money in a pre-arbitration bonus pool, the collective balance (aka luxury) tax thresholds and the minimum salary. The Athletic’s Evan Drellich also said the league proposed a draft for international prospects.
For now, the 2022 season will have a maximum length of 156 games and could lose more if an agreement isn’t reached. Both sides left Roger Dean Stadium in Juniper, Fla. after the final proposal was rejected. According to Drellich, it is unclear when negotiations will resume.
