Another week, another artificially-created deadline. Last week’s led to breathless overnight parking lot monitoring and little more. This week’s? Eh, probably only the second thing.
Here’s the report:
Sources: MLB, MLBPA lawyers met today, planning to meet again tomorrow. MLB has suggested Tuesday as deadline, in its eyes, for 3 things: play 162 games, and for players to get full pay & full service time. But, pay/service/sked can’t be unilaterally chosen—needs to be negotiated
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) March 8, 2022
One bit of news embedded in there before I go deeper: this confirms that, although MLB cancelled the first two series of the year, they are – at this moment – willing to make them up.
As for the rest of the report …
On the one hand, since we are already to this point where (unnecessary) delay has pushed things to the brink, you might as well try to create an artificial deadline to spur movement. Don’t get me wrong: I think it’s utter bullshit that it ever got to this place. But none of that can be changed now, and the only question is whether a deal can get done in time to avoid the worst of the worst outcomes. So set a deadline, sure. Try.
On the other hand, if it’s not treated as a really-really-real deadline, then it won’t actually accomplish much of anything except create more hostility and ugliness when it passes without a deal. You would be a fool to have even an ounce of optimism at this point that a deal is suddenly going to get done tomorrow to save a full 162-game season with pay and service time, and no further fighting. There’s just nothing in the last two+ years to justify that feeling.
So, we’ll see if tomorrow actually happens. It’s a mere “suggestion” by MLB, and I don’t get the sense that the players are yet feeling much pressure to come off their (reasonable) offers of late. So if the owners don’t come in with a dramatically improved offer on the luxury tax (at a minimum), then I don’t really see much of utility happening tomorrow. The RSN rebate issue is still about 10 days off, and I remain unconvinced that there aren’t at least eight owners (all it takes to block a deal) perfectly happy to lose most of April if they can.
UPDATE: Depends on the “strings,” but it’s a partial move:
Sources: MLB offered to start CBT at $228 million, going to $238 million by end of deal. But rest of proposal not yet known, and league’s increase is said to have major strings attached. Players' last known ask was $238m, finishing at $263m. MLB was at $220m previously.
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) March 8, 2022