It has been said – quite often lately – that negotiations between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association over the current MLB lockout and negotiations towards a new Collective Bargaining Agreement would begin in earnest shortly after the first of the year. Yet on Wednesday afternoon, MLBTradeRumors.com reported that, according to USA Today reporter Bob Nightengale, “No negotiating sessions were scheduled between MLB and the players’ union.“

The MLBTR piece added that according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, “MLB is working on proposals to bring to the table” and that “Passan’s sources believe the earliest negotiations will ramp up this time is late January.“

Do you see the problem here? Although “hope springs eternal” and all that, pitchers and catchers are (were) scheduled to report for Spring Training 2022 on or about Monday, February 14, 2022, with most arriving a week early. Position players are (were) scheduled to arrive on Monday, February 21, 2022 (ditto), but these once-firm dates now read “TBA” on the popular ‘Spring Training Online‘ website.

According to Tim Dierkes’ MLBTR piece, “Passan suggests MLB is hoping to determine what tops the players’ list of priorities: the oft-repeated ‘competitive integrity’ anti-tanking buzzword, getting players paid earlier in their careers, or raising the competitive balance tax thresholds.“

That “competitive balance tax thresholds” thing is huge, and in fact, could be the sticking point in reaching a new CBA. Dierkes notes: “As has been reported previously, MLB’s most recent proposal had the CBT threshold starting at $214 million in 2022. MLB’s proposal had the thresholds progressing only to $220 million by the end of a presumed five-year deal. Going from $210 million in 2021 to $220 million in 2026 would be a 4.8% increase.”

Dierkes further notes that the MLBPA has reportedly set their opening bid for the CBT at $245 million, implying they might hope to see it progress to around $260 million by the end of the deal. A jump from a $210 million starting point to a $260 million ending point would represent a 23.8% increase, falling neatly between the player-favoring 30% increase of 2007 and the MLB-favoring 11% increase of 2017.

Dierkes concludes his piece with the REAL concern for baseball fans:

“The CBT is a major issue, but it remains to be seen whether the players will abandon some other more aggressive asks to prioritize it. As Passan sees it, if the two sides don’t make progress by February 1st, a spring training delay is likely. He feels that a lack of progress by March 1st ‘sets off the alarm’ in terms of not starting the season on time, given all that must be done to be ready to play.“

Stay tuned…

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