Report: MLB players, executives anticipate spring training postponement
Major League Baseball players and executives are both anticipating a postponement to the start of spring training following MLB and the MLBPA's latest meeting Tuesday, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.
The two sides apparently made little progress toward ending the lockout in the collective bargaining session, although the MLBPA amended its proposals regarding a pre-arbitration bonus pool and service time manipulation.
The MLBPA lowered its bonus pool demand from $105 million to $100 million in what was reportedly a heated 90-minute session, according to The Athletic's Evan Drellich.
The union also raised the potential threshold for awarding rookies a full year of service time.
On other proposal the MLBPA modified, service-time manipulation, union dropped the number of players who would be awarded a full year of service time. Previous proposal (below) was to give service to players in top 30 or top 10 by WAR depending on position. Now: top 20, or top 7 pic.twitter.com/cSbTgHxj48
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) February 1, 2022
The union also said it was open to rewarding teams with a draft pick for not manipulating a top prospect's service time, sources told Passan.
Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to spring training on Feb. 14, with exhibition games beginning Feb. 26.