MLB moves deadline back a day as progress made in talks

*Photo from TheScore*

   Ok, don't look now, but baseball hasn't ruined everything yet. For the first time since the Braves won the world series, we have some positive news to report on the baseball landscape, free agent frenzy aside. After Monday's meetings, MLB has extended the deadline to have a new CBA to 5:00 PM on Tuesday, a few hours after this post has been published.

   Both sides met on Monday beginning at 10:00 AM at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, the site of negotiations for the entire week. There were 13 bargaining sessions that took place on Monday, with talks lasting into the early morning on Tuesday, wrapping up around 2:30 AM on the east coast. Talks have resumed as you are reading this post.

   There are still fairly sizable gaps between both sides on the luxury tax threshold and it's corresponding penalties, minimum salaries for players, and pre-arbitration bonus pool money, but the two sides did close that gap by a good amount on Monday. Also on the table is MLB's proposed international draft, which is something MLB is strongly in favor of.

   Big changes to MLB's proposal on Monday included raising the first luxury tax threshold to $220 million, with it being at $208 million in the last CBA. They also bumped up the minimum salary to $675,000, and the pre-arbitration bonus pool to $25 million. The MLBPA is in favor of a $245 million luxury tax, $775,000 minimum salary, and $115 million in bonus pool money. Still a gap, but a smaller one than at the start of last week.

   Another big topic was the issue of expanded playoffs. The MLBPA has been in favor of a 12 team postseason, while MLB has favored 14 teams. Both sides agreed that, subject to a new CBA being completed, that the postseason would be expanded to 12 teams.

   The negotiating parties for MLB on Monday included commissioner Rob Manfred, deputy commissioner and lead negotiator Dan Halem, executive vice president Morgan Sword, and senior vice president Pat Houlihan. The MLBPA contingent included players Max Scherzer, Andrew Miller, and Marcus Semien, plus MLBPA lawyer Bruce Meyer and executive director Tony Clark.

   Commissioner Manfred had set Monday as the deadline to have a new CBA in place in order for an unaffected regular season. That deadline is now today, a sign of progress as the sides continue to work to get a new deal done and get baseball back to the people, and themselves.