Major League Baseball announced Wednesday that the 2022 season would be cut if there is no labor agreement by Monday.
Management maintained that March 31 was the deadline to reach a deal that would allow the season start on the date scheduled. The players have yet to say if they agree with that deadline, but there is still a feeling that both sides are under more pressure to make more significant moves.
After another day of minor moves, MLB made its declaration. Major League Baseball offered Wednesday a new offer to its players: an increase in the minimum salary of $10,000 per year.
MLB raised its minimum salary to $640,000 for this year. The figure will rise by $10,000 each season of a five-year deal.
Players are asking for $775,000 by 2022 with $30,000 jumps per season.
It appeared that there was little to no movement in the main issue of luxury tax rates and thresholds, or the size bonus pool for pre-arbitration gamers.
Talks took place on the third day of negotiations between Max Scherzer, New York Mets pitcher, and Gerrit Cole, Yankees pitcher.
Andrew Miller, a free agent pitcher, and Zack Britton, a Yankees relief pitcher joined the negotiations on day 84 of the lockout. They were along with Francisco Lindor, a Mets shortstop and Jason Castro as catcher in Houston. These six people are part of the eight-member union’s executive subcommittee that oversees collective bargaining.
The talks at Roger Dean Stadium were not attended by Boston pitcher James Paxton and Marcus Semien, a Texas infielder.
Scott Boras is the most powerful agent in baseball, representing Semien, Paxton and Cole as well as Scherzer, Paxton and Paxton.
The union has been informed by the teams that they won’t reduce revenue sharing or add new ways for players to earn service time. Players said this was necessary to stop teams from holding back players in order to allow them to be granted delay-free agency.
