Report: MLBPA open to 14-team postseason in exchange for flexibility on other issues
As Major League Baseball and the players' association look to reignite collective bargaining talks, the union approached MLB with an offer to discuss a 14-team postseason format in exchange for flexibility on other economic issues, sources told ESPN's Buster Olney.
There's hope that a renewed conversation surrounding a 14-team format could lead to a potential breakthrough in bargaining negotiations, sources on both sides told Olney.
Keep in mind that the teams most invested in the expanded playoff field are small- and mid-market teams -- which are also the teams that prefer a more restrictive CBT. So there could be some badly needed room created for horse-trading in this overture.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) March 4, 2022
The two sides reportedly made progress on agreeing to a 12-team postseason format during a 16-hour marathon bargaining session on Monday. However, they remain far apart on key economic issues, including competitive-balance tax thresholds and a pre-arbitration bonus pool.
The league and players' association held an informal meeting on Thursday in New York but the talks failed to create any substantive progress.
MLB and its players have been locked out since the previous collective bargaining agreement expired on Dec. 1.