Major League Baseball and players’ union representatives met for several hours Monday but reportedly made little progress in resolving the economic issues that threatened the start of the 2022 season.
A Major League Baseball official told USA Today that the talks at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, were “wide-ranging and productive” but union officials said they were underwhelmed by the latest proposals from MLB.
US media outlets said MLB raised its pre-salary arbitration bonus pool by $5 million to $20 million on Monday — still $95 million short of what the union wants.
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There were no new proposals regarding luxury tax rates and thresholds or minimum salaries, USA Today reported.
Those are two of the major issues dividing the sides, along with a players’ proposal to have clubs reduce revenue sharing — a move MLB officials insist will destroy competitive balance among the 30 clubs.
However, there were signs that the talks are proceeding with more urgency after MLB canceled the first week of pre-season games, which were set to begin on February 26 and now won’t start before March 5.
Players’ union chief Tony Clark joined chief negotiator Bruce Meyer for the talks, with 10 players also attending.
Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort and vice chairman Ron Fowler of the San Diego Padres also attended along with deputy commissioner Dan Halem and MLB’s negotiators,’ USA Today reported.
Pre-season training camps remain on hold since players have been locked out by club owners since the previous collective bargaining agreement expired on December 1, 2021.
MLB has set a deadline of February 28 for a deal to be reached to ensure that the MLB 2022 regular season begins as scheduled on March 31.
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