<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">NEWS: MLB Network cuts ties with Ken Rosenthal after flap over Rob Manfred criticism, The Post has learned.<a href="https://t.co/uNHwQj0Sye">https://t.co/uNHwQj0Sye</a></p>&mdash; Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewMarchand/status/1478141889765421057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">There&#39;s no collective bargaining agreement in MLB. Owners have locked out players. What are players fighting for?<br><br>In conversation with <a href="https://twitter.com/jorgecastillo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jorgecastillo</a>, Max Scherzer explains:<br> <a href="https://t.co/9l5VqZZqZM">https://t.co/9l5VqZZqZM</a></p>&mdash; Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillShaikin/status/1478058055979790336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Is Scott Boras the de facto head of the Players Union? Service time is a legit gripe, and many of the players have voiced their (very justified) anger with the league switching out baseballs on them. However, the latter point is just... absent from the players demands? Instead the focus is on tanking -- which Scott Boras has been against for years now. Lovely.

Boras has done as well as anyone financially even through these cold free agent markets of recent years. The high-end players, that Boras represents, aren't really the issue in this labor dispute. They're doing just fine.

Service time is a legit gripe but I feel like it's going to get manipulated no matter what changes they make. If a half year as a rookie counts as a full year of service time, I see a high-performing Triple-A prospect being held down in July until next spring training. Plus, legislating a franchise's ability to determine when a prospect is ready or not is virtually impossible.

I don't see the owners going for the age 29 or five years of service time free agency. I think that is an automatic no for them. The question is whether new MLBPA negotiator Bruce Meyer (apparently he's a hard liner) is willing to go through an ugly labor war on those service time proposals or can the owners offer earlier arbitration and higher minimum salaries to compromise off them. The small market teams have a strong voice too, they're not going to give up higher minimum salaries or earlier arbitration easy.

The draft lottery has been proposed to discourage the tanking. I hate the concept of a draft lottery. The MLBPA won't agree to the salary floor because it feels the cheap teams will get right over the threshold and stop spending. It would almost validate their lack of spending. "Hey, we're over the cash floor. Go **** yourself."

This is my personal opinion, but I think a lot of issues can be resolved by just letting the Dodgers spend as much as they want so more players get their market value and not attach as many penalties to high spending teams. But it will never happen because Manfred and almost every owner is against it. They're afraid it will lead to the escalation of player salaries.

This is easily the most complicated CBA since 1994 and I could see it getting ugly. Some optimistic people think it can be easily resolved but call me a skeptic.

Fighting to have everything without compromising.

The media said MLBPA took it on the chin in the last CBA, so Tony Clark and the union negotiators are going to be stubborn this time around.

I just hope when we get about two weeks from pitchers and catchers that the MLBPA understands that these riches and revenues they want a piece of won't be as lucrative if the sport starts losing games.

The MLBPA and baseball owners are business partners. A healthy game and healthy relationship benefits both parties.

MLB Expected To Make Core Economics Proposal To MLBPA Within Two Weeks
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/...two-weeks.html

Manfred might be the worst commissioner in the history of any sport. And that’s saying a lot.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association plan to hold a bargaining session Thursday, sources tell ESPN. MLB is expected to make a core-economics proposal at the session, which would be the first between the sides since the league locked out the players on Dec. 2.</p>&mdash; Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1480936334592286727?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

11:43 pm: Bob Nightengale of USA Today sheds some light on the upcoming proposal. The league is not expected to address the service time structure during this session. MLB is expected to put forth an increase in the league minimum salary to $600K, with further hikes to a height of $700K by the end of a potential CBA term, as well as alterations to draft pick compensation/forfeiture for signing free agents tagged with a qualifying offer.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/...-thursday.html

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Baseball labor update: There is no deal. There never was going to be one today. MLB made a proposal. The reaction among the players was not positive. Few on either side expected it to be. The question is how soon the MLBPA counters. Spring training starting on time is in peril.</p>&mdash; Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1481706425168637958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MLB raised pay for younger players (higher minimum salary and more money for Super 2s) in their proposal. Players union saw overall offer as “disappointing.” No word about a counter yet. Long way to go (but fortunately there’s still time)</p>&mdash; Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1481714682411032580?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Plenty more coming in a story at ESPN but the broad strokes of MLB&#39;s proposal, per sources:<br><br>- Funnel additional money to all players with 2+ years service<br>- Award draft picks to teams that don&#39;t manipulate service of successful top prospects<br>- Tweaks to proposed draft lottery</p>&mdash; Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1481723653607809025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Also heard MLB’s offer to players today included 14 teams in playoffs<br><br>That&#39;s arguably players&#39; biggest bargaining chip: owners clearly want expanded playoffs.</p>&mdash; Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) <a href="https://twitter.com/bnicholsonsmith/status/1481719852217909251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Also heard MLB owners offered a potential solution to service time manipulation in their proposal:<br>•if a highly-ranked prospect (within top 150 on prospect lists) plays a full year and finishes top five for a major award like MVP, Cy, RoY his team would get a bonus draft pick</p>&mdash; Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) <a href="https://twitter.com/bnicholsonsmith/status/1481721233700016130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MLB remans dead set against lowering free agency from 6 years to 5. Part of the concern stems from the history of the big stars jumping from smaller markets to big markets when they hit free agency and belief this would hurt competitive balance.</p>&mdash; Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1481726559836856321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

14 teams in playoffs is absolute lunacy.

My Pirates still wouldn't make it.