Major League Baseball asked for a federal mediator to assist in talks with the players' association and help end the sport's lockout, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.
The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service will send a mediator to sessions if the request is fulfilled.
The MLBPA will have to sign off for the mediator to join talks. But it's likely that the union will reject the proposal on Friday, sources told Evan Drellich of The Athletic.
News of MLB's request for mediation comes two days after the sides had their most recent discussions. On Thursday, the league informed the MLBPA it would not make a counteroffer, despite having told the union Tuesday that one was coming, Drellich reports.
Players were apparently not pleased. One anonymous player with direct knowledge of the talks told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that the mediator request is "a publicity stunt" by owners. San Francisco Giants pitcher Alex Wood and Minnesota Twins catcher Mitch Garver aired their frustrations on social media:
How can MLB request for there to be a mediator from the Federal Government to help with negotiations when they literally haven’t even done any negotiating up to this point? Asking for a friend.
— Alex Wood (@Awood45) February 4, 2022
The ploy used by the league to hire a federal mediator to work through the lockout is a tactic to show they are bargaining in good faith. We the players want to get to the bargaining table ASAP to get ready for the 2022 season.
— GarvSauce (@MitchGarver) February 4, 2022
The only thing holding us back is the league dragging their heels on negotiations that will lead to lost games in 2022. I feel bad for the fans mostly because I know all players want to be at ST in a few weeks, so when we’re ready to figure it out the players will be ready
— GarvSauce (@MitchGarver) February 4, 2022
MLB locked out its players shortly after midnight Dec. 2, mere minutes after the collective bargaining agreement expired. The sides have been in a virtual stalemate since then, meeting just four times in the now two-month long lockout to discuss core economic issues, and both parties reportedly expect the start of spring training to be delayed.
The FMCS is the United States' largest public agency for dispute resolution. Its mediators will offer free assistance to employers and unionized workers during CBA negotiations but cannot "impose a settlement or ... determine contract terms," according to the service's website.
In August 1994, an FMCS mediator sat down with owners and the union in an attempt to end the players' strike. About a month later, after those mediation sessions proved fruitless, MLB canceled the 1994 World Series.
