Players and owners met for 2 hours today and word is that the players have agreed to drop their demand for free agency sooner than 6 years. That is huge as that was a major stumbling block in negotiations and the owners were never going to budge on that. Sides will meet again tommorrow and owners now are going to have to make a concession of their own to show they are willing to bargain in good faith. Pace of talks now seems to be heating up a bit which is good news.
With football ending in 3 weeks, I would hate to see baseball delayed. Hoping ST can start on time. Still a load of free agents out there that will have to get deals done once the lockout ends
So as it stands now 6 years of control means no guarenteed contract longer then 6 years. If the players want less controlled years they give up term.
Owners want more pre FA control they ney give longer deals.
Boras and the other agents won't like it because they make their money off big contracts. But screw them.
Boras and the other agents won't like it because they make their money off big contracts. But screw them.
that was part of the owners latest offer which the players countered in today's discussion.
Funny thing is...they didn't give anything, just back where they started. MLBPA has always played chess, while the owners play checkers. Best union in sports.
@JonHeyman
Sources: Baseball players union proposed a minimum salary of $775M, up from $570.5M. MLB proposed a rise to $600M. Both sides do agree younger (pre arbitration) players should receive a bump. There r bigger $ differences elsewhere but it’s good they’re talking.
the best way to view this negotiation is the overall $ increase the players are looking for. the players share of the pie has gone up and down for the last several years while revenues have gone up. I did a longer post on it a few weeks ago I can't seem to find but for the players to put themselves on track to grow the amount of overall $ money spent on players in line with the historical high (which I believe was like 4.5bn in 2017) they need to gain $300-500m in this negotiation.
So for example:
MLB proposed 30m more towards minimum salaried players, MLBPA proposed 200m more
MLB proposed raising the LTT by $4m per club, MLBPA proposed $35m per club in a previous offer, likely an area of negotiation now
Expanding the playoffs is a leverage point for the players because it increases the owner's revenue to offset some of the increases for the players. The owners proposed 14 teams I think and the players previously proposed 12 (which would be less $).
DH is estimated to be another new $50m in players pockets (which the players don't want the owners to count bc it's mutually beneficial)
All in all this whole negotiation is a horse trade to find that 300-500m which is why it's good they are talking.
@chelsea_janes
MLB is dropping its proposals to change arbitration and end Super Two, per a person familiar with today’s proposal. Have also agreed to union’s idea of a bonus pool, funded by central revenue, to reward players with less than three years service time who win awards, hit WAR marks
Susan Slusser
@susanslusser
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40m
I asked a source with knowledge of today’s bargaining session about perceived movement from MLB on talks and source said “I’d hesitate to call it movement. The players’ reaction to this universally was, ‘What the f-, are you kidding me?’
Funny thing is...they didn't give anything, just back where they started. MLBPA has always played chess, while the owners play checkers. Best union in sports.
MLB players get the smallest share of revenue of any major sports league.
So...maybe not the best.
Link - ( New Window )
@Feinsand
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15s
“Significant” progress made during Tuesday meeting between MLB, MLBPA
Quote:
Funny thing is...they didn't give anything, just back where they started. MLBPA has always played chess, while the owners play checkers. Best union in sports.
MLB players get the smallest share of revenue of any major sports league.
So...maybe not the best. Link - ( New Window )
The actual share of what the players are getting is unknown because nobody believes the owners accounting. Which is in part because more than other sports each franchise has very different revenue.
That said MLB player salaries in aggregate have been above $4bn per year for the last half decade. NBA and NHL are each 1bn or more below that. NFL obviously above closer to 6bn.
lots of ways to slice and dice since each sport is fundamentally different in terms of roster size, but the MLB players are getting more than any league except NFL, and unlike NFL their contracts are guaranteed.
@Feinsand
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15s
“Significant” progress made during Tuesday meeting between MLB, MLBPA
as opposed to arguing about change the system in ways both sides seem unwilling to do. hopefully it's as easy for them to strike a deal as it is to see that meeting in the middle should be good for everyone.
MLB offered to increase league min by $30m in aggregate, players want 200m, meet in the middle at +$100m (+3.3m per team).
MLB offered $10m for the bonus pool, players want $100m, meet in the middle at +$50m (+1.66m per team).
eventually put universal DH back (+50m players, but only to teams that want to spend it) in return for expanded playoffs (+ new revenue for the sport, shared among all teams to offset the +5m each team will eat).
Raise the LTT $15-20m, remove compensation tied to UFA, and boom the players have gotten their members another $300m+ annually, split almost 50/50 between younger guys pre-arb and UFAs.
now please let Steve cohen go back to spending money.