Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM

The Major League Baseball Players Association made tweaks in its latest proposals during negotiations with MLB on Thursday, but reports from ESPN and The Athletic described progress in talks between the two sides as “minimal” and not substantive.

The union reportedly made minor concessions in its desire for a draft lottery to penalize teams for consecutive poor seasons, though it kept the proposal at seven teams. Major League Baseball recently countered with a four-team lottery.



The Players Association also offered a slightly narrowed scope for when players would earn service time, the reports said. Service time manipulation was among several issues players have had with MLB in recent years.

The sides remain far apart on a threshold for the competitive balance tax (CBT), better known as the luxury tax, and a bonus pool for pre-arbitration players. The sides reportedly are $95 million apart on the bonus pool. Meanwhile, the CBT has not been broached for at least three days.

Deadline Looms

MLB has said the 2022 season will be shortened if no deal on a new collective bargaining agreement is reached by Monday.

“A deadline is a deadline. Missed games are missed games. Salary will not be paid for those games,” an MLB spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday.

ESPN reported that the union told MLB if games are missed and salaries are lost, teams shouldn’t expect the players to agree to proposals by management that would expand the postseason and allow advertisements on uniforms and helmets.

The two sides will return to the table Friday for the fifth straight day of talks.

–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)