New CBA negotiations

[Bertz]

 

Meeting for two hours I'm hopeful things actually moved a bit (though best case scenario is still another ~2 weeks of this horsefeathers)

[Andy]

Early reports are the players dropped their push to get players to free agency before 6 years. Seems like they'll focus more on trying to get players to arbitration sooner instead.

[Cubswin11]

Meeting again tomorrow. Would assume that’s a decently good indication there’s been some progress/everyone getting along.

 

[Bertz]

Early reports are the players dropped their push to get players to free agency before 6 years. Seems like they'll focus more on trying to get players to arbitration sooner instead.

 

Of the Players' asks, this is the one I'm glad they're ditching. That said, it was the biggest ask so if the MLBPA is going this route they need to end up with most of the rest of their asks for the deal to be a win.

 

The biggest issues on the player side are young players and low end FA vets. If you funnel more money to younger players, that solves #1 directly and helps #2 indirectly. Raise the luxury tax levels, and that money's mostly going to funnel into FA anyway. So focusing on the LT and young player pay would have a real "rising tide lifts all boats" sort of effect, while IMO focusing onearlier FA would mostly exacerbate the difference between your stars and your scrubs (though may result in more dollars). Ideally you'd get all three! But if you have to drop one, drop FA.

 

Now I look forward to the owners making some actual concessions

 

[SophyQ]

"

AS MLB PREPS NEW PROPOSAL, NBA 'S EXPERIENCE WITH LOCKOUTS LOOMS

 

If fans are hoping a new MLB collective bargaining proposal gets a deal done fast, the NBA's experience tells a different story

MATTHEW POSTINS AND CHRIS HALICKEJAN 7, 2022

Major League Baseball (MLB) is reportedly preparing a new Collective Bargaining Agreement proposal for the MLB Players Association (MLBPA), one that could be presented as early as next week. But, as The Athletic points out, that doesn’t mean an agreement is in sight.

MLB locked out the players on Dec. 2, which doesn't impact games at the moment since it's the offseason. However, all other business including free agency, trades, salary arbitration and the Rule 5 draft are all on hold until the lockout is over and a new CBA is signed. There has been little reported contact between MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and MLBPA executive director Tony Clark since the lockout began, and the only talks that took place revolved around non-critical issues.

The chasm between the owners and players on core economic issues such as free agency, salary arbitration and revenue sharing is well documented. So, a new offer from MLB may jump-start discussions toward a new CBA.

Or, in the experience of the NBA, it may just lead to more foot-dragging.

Evan Drellich, the author of the piece, spoke to a source familiar with previous NBA labor negotiations. While MLB is experiencing its first work stoppage of any kind in 26 years, the NBA has locked out its players four times in the past three decades.

The takeaway, per Drellich’s source? Breaking the lockout won’t be easy.

“Nothing happens until the very last minute,” the source told Drellich. “It’s a very primitive mentality that people feel the other side is not going to give its best offer until they are looking down the barrel of what’s ahead.

"

[Irrelevant Dude]

Has anyone heard what the status is of everyone's favorite stupid extra innings rule? I read an article this morning that suggested the new rule will most likely continue indefinitely, but I certainly hope that isn't the case. Out of all the changes that have been made and/or proposed, that is the one I hate the most.

[Andy]

Has anyone heard what the status is of everyone's favorite stupid extra innings rule? I read an article this morning that suggested the new rule will most likely continue indefinitely, but I certainly hope that isn't the case. Out of all the changes that have been made and/or proposed, that is the one I hate the most.

That's something that will be figured out when they're closer to a deal, but I'd read the opposite and that it's unlikely to continue, at least in the 10th inning. I think the last thing I saw was that it might happen later than the 10th inning.

 

I think both that and the 7-inning doubleheaders (also said to not be continuing) are abominations, but if forced to only eliminate one I think I'd eliminate the doubleheaders.

[Bertz]

 

Pretty minor movement, but sounds like neither side stormed off in a huff so that's another small win

[Andy]

The fact that we're still a few weeks from the original ST report date and there's already been movement (albeit minor) strikes me as a good sign.

[UMFan83]

Has anyone heard what the status is of everyone's favorite stupid extra innings rule? I read an article this morning that suggested the new rule will most likely continue indefinitely, but I certainly hope that isn't the case. Out of all the changes that have been made and/or proposed, that is the one I hate the most.

That's something that will be figured out when they're closer to a deal, but I'd read the opposite and that it's unlikely to continue, at least in the 10th inning. I think the last thing I saw was that it might happen later than the 10th inning.

 

I think both that and the 7-inning doubleheaders (also said to not be continuing) are abominations, but if forced to only eliminate one I think I'd eliminate the doubleheaders.

 

And I'd keep both of them to get rid of the 14 and 16 team playoff proposals

[Tryptamine]

I see no point in playing a 162 game schedule to determine which teams are best if they intend to let half the damn league into the playoffs.

[UMFan83]

I see no point in playing a 162 game schedule to determine which teams are best if they intend to let half the damn league into the playoffs.

 

I'm sure the thought of making the playoffs with 80 wins was in Jeds mind when he gutted the team last summer. Not to say he was aiming for it as the ultimate goal, but figuring a couple of acquisitions and we could be in the hunt for the playoffs as early as next year.

[Bertz]

 

[Cubswin11]

[CubinNY]

Has anyone else reported this? I haven't seen anything on Twitter.

[SouthSideRyan]

He has less than 1,000 followers

[Bertz]

[Tim]

I think I found an issue where I'm actually on the owner's side: https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2022/01/31/mlb-draft-lottery-details-what-exactly-each-side-is-proposing/

 

In short, the players want to give all kinds of bonus picks and higher seeding in the draft to "small market" teams like the bloody Cardinals.

[Andy]

I think I found an issue where I'm actually on the owner's side: https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2022/01/31/mlb-draft-lottery-details-what-exactly-each-side-is-proposing/

 

In short, the players want to give all kinds of bonus picks and higher seeding in the draft to "small market" teams like the bloody Cardinals.

I'm getting extremely sick of all these proposals offering advantages to "small-market" teams when everyone is treating the CBT like a salary cap anyway so the big-market teams (and really, I mean big-market fan bases) aren't really getting any of the advantages they're supposed to be getting by being big-market teams.

[stitchface]

I think I found an issue where I'm actually on the owner's side: https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2022/01/31/mlb-draft-lottery-details-what-exactly-each-side-is-proposing/

 

In short, the players want to give all kinds of bonus picks and higher seeding in the draft to "small market" teams like the bloody Cardinals.

I'm getting extremely sick of all these proposals offering advantages to "small-market" teams when everyone is treating the CBT like a salary cap anyway so the big-market teams (and really, I mean big-market fan bases) aren't really getting any of the advantages they're supposed to be getting by being big-market teams.

 

 

sounds like communism

[Cubswin11]

Seems like they were gonna miss some ST anyways and that really isn’t a big deal, imo, it’s too long and wouldn’t be surprised if the players are happy staying him an extra week or 3. Delaying ST may just be something they want and are dragging a bit.

 

[Bertz]

Seems like they were gonna miss some ST anyways and that really isn’t a big deal, imo, it’s too long and wouldn’t be surprised if the players are happy staying him an extra week or 3. Delaying ST may just be something they want and are dragging a bit.

 

 

It's a very fine line going from losing a little bit of ST to significantly impacting the regular season. Get something done in the next ~3 weeks and all that happens is you trim some of the fat off of ST, but go beyond that and horsefeathers snowballs really quickly.

 

I still tend to think the owners don't have the stones to let this impact the regular season, but I'm closer to like 60/40 than the 80/20 I was a month ago.

[Rob]

Seems like they were gonna miss some ST anyways and that really isn’t a big deal, imo, it’s too long and wouldn’t be surprised if the players are happy staying him an extra week or 3. Delaying ST may just be something they want and are dragging a bit.

 

 

I've said from the beginning that this will almost certainly impact spring training. It's possible it gets together in quick enough fashion to allow for an otherwise-normal season. But I also wouldn't be surprised to see it bleed (slightly) into the regular season. If we don't have games by late May I'd be shocked. The MLBPA leadership is pretty weak and risk-averse. They lack the stones to manage a real work-stoppage. They're only up to threatening it as a negotiating tactic.

[UMFan83]

 

:-k

[Bertz]