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Important proposals in Major League Baseball labor negotiations

Some of the key areas of collective bargaining between the Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball Players Association, which are due to expire Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. EST, as received from The Associated Press. This is just a partial list of negotiation topics:

Related: Teams spend $ 1 billion a day MLB, union likely locked out

Free agency

MLB: Would keep the existing system or change eligibility to 29.5 years instead of six years of major league service as has been the case since 1976.

MLBPA: If the existing system were retained for the 2022-23 off-season, the 2023-24 and 2024-25 off-season would allow six years of service or five years of service and an age of 30.5 years, whichever comes first and then for the off-season 2025-26 and later, six years of service or five years of service and 29.5 years old, whichever comes first.

Free draft-pick compensation for agents

MLB: Would agree to abolish penalties for teams engaging free agents who declined a qualifying offer. Draft Pick Compensation has been around since 1976.

Salary arbitration

MLB: Would keep the current system or replace it with salaries based primarily on recognition of awards and career fangraphs WAR, saying the change would address MLBPA concerns about paying younger players based on value. Players currently eligible for arbitration under the expired CBA would be grandfathered and given a choice between pay arbitration or the new system.

MLBPA: Would lower eligibility to two years of major league service, from 1974 to 1986 when it was increased to three years. In the expired agreement, it was three years plus the top 22% after the players’ service life with at least two years but less than three years.

Luxury tax

The threshold was $ 210 million in 2021, with tax rates of 20 percent for the first-time offender, 30 percent for exceeding in consecutive years, and 50 percent for exceeding three or more consecutive years. Surcharge for exceeding US $ 230 million and US $ 250 million.

MLB: Proposed threshold increase to $ 214 million in 2022 and offer of a minimum wage of $ 100 million funded by a 25 percent tax on payroll over $ 180 million. The tax cap would rise to $ 220 million last season.

MLBPA: Proposed threshold increase from $ 245 million for the 2022 season and elimination of non-tax penalties.

Servicezeit

MLBPA: Proposals have been made aimed at preventing alleged tampering with service time, including allowing newcomers to accumulate service time for awards and achievements.

MLB: MLBPA proposals rejected

Amateur-Draft

MLB: Propose an NBA / NHL style lottery for the top three selections.

MLBPA: Accepted the concept of a weighted lottery but would increase the number of teams to eight and make adjustments to incentivize competition.

Player in front of the arbitration tribunal

MLBPA: Proposed pool of central revenue for pre-arbitration players, allocated based on recognition of awards and WAR.

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MLB: Smaller pool funded from revenue, in part from expanded playoffs and luxury tax revenue currently allocated for other purposes.

minimum wage

Usually one of the last points raised. Was $ 570,500 in major leagues in 2021, $ 46,600 in minor leagues for a player signing their first major league contract, and $ 93,000 in minor leagues for a player signing a second or later major league contract signed.

Both sides would increase the minimum but disagree on the amounts.

Postseason

MLB: Would expand the postseason from 10 to 14 teams, increasing the wildcards from two per league to four. The division winner with the best record in each league would go straight to the Division Series, and the other two division winners and wildcard teams would start in a best-of-three round.

The division winner with the second best record would choose his opponent from the three lowest seeded wildcard teams. The division winner with the third-best record would then choose from the remaining two wild cards. The top wild card will be matched against the team that is left after the division winners have made their picks.

MLBPA: 12 teams expanded playoffs and possible realignment to two divisions per league, subject to an agreement on the economic proposals of the MLBPA.

Designated Hitter

MLB has offered to accept MLBPA’s proposal to upgrade the hitter-designate to the National League, subject to an agreement on the post-season expansion. The DH has been used in the American League since 1973 and was used in both leagues during the 2020 pandemic-shortened season.

Uniforms advertising

MLB: Proposed to add uniform advertising badges.

MLBPA: Would agree, subject to an agreement on MLBPA economic proposals.

Distribution of Income

According to the MLBPA, the MLB has rejected all proposed changes, stating that it would not agree to any changes. According to MLB, the changes would eliminate $ 100 million in revenue share money currently going to small market teams in a system that has largely been in place since the 1997 agreement.

International draft

The MLB has proposed an international draft that the MLBPA has long opposed.

Changes to the rules on the field

MLB proposed a joint committee with at least four active players to discuss possible rule changes on the field of play.

Baseball author by RONALD BLUM AP

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