MLBPA Rejects MLB Final Offer, Opening Day is Canceled

 And just like that MLB Opening Day is canceled. The first two series in fact are now scrapped.

After nine days of intense negotiations that included a 16-hour marathon on Monday into Tuesday, where it looked like there was a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, the Players Union decided Tuesday afternoon to reject the owners final offer.

The lockout remains steadfast. The chances of opening the season March 31, or even within the first week of April are likely doomed.  Both sides will reportedly “head home” to determine next steps.

MLB’s final proposal featured an increase of $5 million in pre-arbitration bonus money from $25 million to $30 million, which would subsequently increase by $5 million in each year of the new CBA. The union wanted to begin at an $85 million pool and increase it every year by $5 million.

 On the Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) the League was steadfast, holding at $220 million for three years, before an incremental increase to $224 million in year four, and $230 million in year five. The union offer started at $238 million, and ended at $263 million by year five.

The League also proposed to increase the minimum salary from $675,000 to $700,000.

Bottom line here is there is plenty of sides to blame, and the facts are that both sides have plenty of acrimony for the other.

Players are angry that revenue for the game has increased, while their pay (believe it or not) has in their estimation decreased. Players are reasonably upset that service time has been manipulated by owners for years, in order to avoid paying steep prices on free agency and arbitration. The players had enough. The owners felt they were paying enough as is. At the end of the day, neither side could agree on much, even if it was reported they were having “positive talks.”

 As a result, the extended lockout, and failure to come to terms on a new CBA is another dent in a sport littered with dents.  Both sides spent the better part of two years knowing full well that this could happen and did little to stop it. They proved in 2020 when they struggled to even form a 60-game season amid the Coronavirus that no baseball in 2022 was a possibility.

Add Commissioner Rob Manfred calling the World Series trophy a “piece of metal,” to the Hall of Fame vote where it appears writers are voting in players based on “how nice they are” rather than their stats (regardless of steroid use) as the standard.

Also add the fact that the NFL and NBA both outpace baseball in terms of television ratings and revenue. The 2021 World Series between the Braves and Astros averaged just under 12 million viewers. Compare that to the 2003 World Series between the Marlins and Yankees which averaged 26 million viewers, and to the average NFL regular season game in 2021, which garnered about 17 million eyeballs, and you see how far baseball is falling behind.

This won’t help.