The start of the 2022 Major League Baseball season is going to be delayed.
How long it is delayed is the only question.
MLB's self-imposed lockout seemingly has no end in sight after the Player's Union rejected a request by the owners to seek federal mediation in negotiations. And according to reports, both sides are not feeling any love for the other.
“It is hard to understand why a party that wants to make an agreement would reject mediation from the federal agency specifically tasked with resolving these disputes,’’ an MLB spokesman said, “including many successes in professional sports. MLB remains committed to offering solutions at the table and reaching a fair agreement for both sides.”
Economics have been holding up the two sides, with the players looking for a raise of the minimum salary from $570,000 to $775,000 so younger players can make more; MLB only offering between $615,000 and $700,000. The players want service time manipulation eliminated.
The players also want the competitive balance tax raised from $210 million to $245 million, and they want revenue sharing between the teams lowered as a way to force teams who sit on loads of cash and don't spend to actually do so and compete (i.e. the Pittsburgh's and Baltimore's of the world).
Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer made it clear that the players feel they are making fair offers and that mediation is not necessary.
Where does this leave the sport? Right now it leaves it in total limbo. According to USA Today, further meetings have not been scheduled, and the players union is not heading to Florida to talk -- at least right now. Spring Training is inevitably going to get delayed.
As a result, the regular season, which is scheduled for March 31 is absolutely at stake. For a sport that watched COVID take out 2/3 of the 2020 schedule, as well as cost the league millions in revenue, one would think that there would be a sense of urgency to get this deal done. It hasn't been the case. There is a good chance, barring an eleventh hour miracle that baseball won't be taking place come March. And if that is true, who knows when we will see it this season.
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