MLB and players union make little progress in latest meeting

*Photo from the Boston Globe*

   Oh, there was another meeting between MLB and the MLBPA? That's great! What happened? Oh, they didn't do anything of note. Lovely. In the latest meeting between MLB and the MLBPA to negotiate a new CBA, the two sides made little progress towards ending the lockout, according to Evan Drellich of The Athletic.

   With this meeting occurring on February 1, and the start date for spring training on February 14, both sides of the aisle are expecting a delay of the start of spring training due to the lockout. Because the players will be unable to report without a new CBA, so spring training will almost certainly be delayed. What remains to be seen is how much or how long it will be delayed.

   In the latest proposal from the MLBPA, they lowered their bonus pool money for pre-arbitration players from $105 million to $100 million. They also reportedly reduced their ask for the number of players who could be awarded an additional year of service time, thus shortening the time needed to get to free agency, via award voting and performance. MLB rejected both of these actions.

   It seems like the only minut sliver of progress made in the meeting was the MLBPA saying they were open to the idea of awarding extra draft picks to teams that avoid service time manipulation of top prospects, to keep them on the roster for a whole year.

   That was about the only good that came from the meeting. The two sides still remain very far apart on key issues in the CBA negotiations, which tie back to the core economics of baseball, which have benefitted the owners more and more in recent years, with minimum salaries for players dropping, with the MLBPA looking to change that.

   After a 43 day stalemate, the two sides finally got back to the negotiating table in January, but as the calendar turns to February with little progress being made, the March 31 opening day is in more and more jeopardy with each passing day of no negotiations, as players likely need 3 to 4 weeks of spring training as a ramp up period to get ready for the season.