The MLB lockout thread

[Deberg_1990]

Discussssss

To our Fans:

I first want to thank you for your continued support of the great game of baseball. This past season, we were reminded of how the national pastime can bring us together and restore our hope despite the difficult challenges of a global pandemic. As we began to emerge from one of the darkest periods in our history, our ballparks were filled with fans; the games were filled with excitement; and millions of families felt the joy of watching baseball together.

That is why I am so disappointed about the situation in which our game finds itself today. Despite the league’s best efforts to make a deal with the Players Association, we were unable to extend our 26 year-long history of labor peace and come to an agreement with the MLBPA before the current CBA expired. Therefore, we have been forced to commence a lockout of Major League players, effective at 12:01am ET on December 2.

I want to explain to you how we got here and why we have to take this action today. Simply put, we believe that an offseason lockout is the best mechanism to protect the 2022 season. We hope that the lockout will jumpstart the negotiations and get us to an agreement that will allow the season to start on time. This defensive lockout was necessary because the Players Association’s vision for Major League Baseball would threaten the ability of most teams to be competitive. It’s simply not a viable option. From the beginning, the MLBPA has been unwilling to move from their starting position, compromise, or collaborate on solutions.

When we began negotiations over a new agreement, the Players Association already had a contract that they wouldn’t trade for any other in sports. Baseball’s players have no salary cap and are not subjected to a maximum length or dollar amount on contracts. In fact, only MLB has guaranteed contracts that run 10 or more years, and in excess of $300 million. We have not proposed anything that would change these fundamentals. While we have heard repeatedly that free agency is “broken” – in the month of November $1.7 billion was committed to free agents, smashing the prior record by nearly 4x. By the end of the offseason, Clubs will have committed more money to players than in any offseason in MLB history.

We worked hard to find compromise while making the system even better for players, by addressing concerns raised by the Players Association. We offered to establish a minimum payroll for all clubs to meet for the first time in baseball history; to allow the majority of players to reach free agency earlier through an age-based system that would eliminate any claims of service time manipulation; and to increase compensation for all young players, including increases in the minimum salary. When negotiations lacked momentum, we tried to create some by offering to accept the universal Designated Hitter, to create a new draft system using a lottery similar to other leagues, and to increase the Competitive Balance Tax threshold that affects only a small number of teams.

We have had challenges before with respect to making labor agreements and have overcome those challenges every single time during my tenure. Regrettably, it appears the Players Association came to the bargaining table with a strategy of confrontation over compromise. They never wavered from collectively the most extreme set of proposals in their history, including significant cuts to the revenue-sharing system, a weakening of the competitive balance tax, and shortening the period of time that players play for their teams. All of these changes would make our game less competitive, not more.

To be clear: this hard but important step does not necessarily mean games will be cancelled. In fact, we are taking this step now because it accelerates the urgency for an agreement with as much runway as possible to avoid doing damage to the 2022 season. Delaying this process further would only put Spring Training, Opening Day, and the rest of the season further at risk – and we cannot allow an expired agreement to again cause an in-season strike and a missed World Series, like we experienced in 1994. We all owe you, our fans, better than that.

Today is a difficult day for baseball, but as I have said all year, there is a path to a fair agreement, and we will find it. I do not doubt the League and the Players share a fundamental appreciation for this game and a commitment to its fans. I remain optimistic that both sides will seize the opportunity to work together to grow, protect, and strengthen the game we love. MLB is ready to work around the clock to meet that goal. I urge the Players Association to join us at the table.
Manfred

Read a letter from the Commissioner: https://t.co/P4gRGSlfsu pic.twitter.com/zI40uGLTni

— MLB (@MLB) December 2, 2021

Statement from the Major League Baseball Players Association: pic.twitter.com/34uIGf762W

— MLBPA Communications (@MLBPA_News) December 2, 2021

[Pepe Silvia]

Originally Posted by PHOG

A hard salary cap is way overdue in this league, or at least, more substantial than the luxury tax. That is if they want a more even playing field, which I'm not too sure they do. JMO

They don’t.

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

That isn't happening without losing at least a whole season. The players got it good now. Take the deal and play ball.

They could miss a whole year and most the country wouldn't care. Think about that for a second

[suzzer99]

The fans need to go on strike until the game is more competitive. Oh wait they already are.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

The fans need to go on strike until the game is more competitive. Oh wait they already are.

8 different champions in the last 8 years

[raybec 4]

This is a bad look for the players. I don't think they're getting the right information out there. The owners have done a good job of letting their offers and some counters leak to the media. It makes the players look like they're just not negotiating in good faith. I'm sure it's all in the spin but they really should get in front of some of this stuff.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Titty Meat

They could miss a whole year and most the country wouldn't care. Think about that for a second

Besides fans and their own team, baseball is a very niche sport now. Fans use to watch the World Series. Now, unless it’s really compelling, not so much.

I grew up playing baseball. Managed my sons competitive baseball team. My experience with baseball for decades is way different than todays generation. So yeah, it’s heyday has probably passed it bye.

[Shiver Me Timbers]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Besides fans and their own team, baseball is a very niche sport now. Fans use to watch the World Series. Now, unless it’s really compelling, not so much.

I grew up panting baseball. Managed my sons competitive baseball team. My experience with baseball is way different than todays generation. So yeah, it’s heyday has probably passed it bye.

Short attention span nation. Baseball is a "time" investment.

I really do not think there is a way to fix it. Too boring for the younger generations.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by Shiver Me Timbers

Short attention span nation. Baseball is a "time" investment.

I really do not think there is a way to fix it. Too boring for the younger generations.

I like the ideas of a pitch clock and banning hitters from leaving the box. I hate the David Ortiz-like dog and pony shows of adjusting all of their equipment after every pitch.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

8 different champions in the last 8 years

fools gold. Of course spending the most money doesn’t guarantee anything. But……

No one can dispute that the Dodgers having a $200 million payroll over the $75 million of other teams gives the Dodgers a competitive advantage.

That allows the big market teams to overpay for players and then they flop, they just move on. Get another player. The smaller payroll teams they are crippled for years. It’s not fair. It’s not a level playing field.

The small market teams develop a star, they are gone in 5.5 years. Big market teams just give them market rate money for 10 years. They fall apart after 5 years, no big deal. Write it off and move on to the next player. Again, that’s a huge competitive advantage.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

fools gold. Of course spending the most money doesn’t guarantee anything. But……

No one can dispute that the Dodgers having a $200 million payroll over the $75 million of other teams gives the Dodgers a competitive advantage.

That allows the big market teams to overpay for players and then they flop, they just move on. Get another player. The smaller payroll teams they are crippled for years. It’s not fair. It’s not a level playing field.

The small market teams develop a star, they are gone in 5.5 years. Big market teams just give them market rate money for 10 years. They fall apart after 5 years, no big deal. Write it off and move on to the next player. Again, that’s a huge competitive advantage.

Dodgers have the best GM and best minor league system. That's why they keep their success up more than spending.

[SPchief]

Oddly enough, BRC made a post about himself and his past.

[jd1020]

As if the NFL and NBA has more competitive balance than MLB because of a salary cap.

Do you even wonder why the MLBPA doesn't pursue a salary cap? Because it will do nothing but give the owners an ironclad excuse to cut spending. Something every single ****ing one of them can afford to do more of.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Dodgers have the best GM and best minor league system. That's why they keep their success up more than spending.

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

8 different champions in the last 8 years

Scott Boras thanks you for your service.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by jd1020

As if the NFL and NBA has more competitive balance than MLB because of a salary cap.

Do you even wonder why the MLBPA doesn't pursue a salary cap? Because it will do nothing but give the owners an ironclad excuse to cut spending. Something every single ****ing one of them can afford to do more of.

Football isn't competitive because apparently at any given time only like 10 humans in the world can play QB well enough to win a Superbowl w/o a generational defense.

But you really have to be in denial to look at the NFL and MLB and say MLB is just as competitive. The Chiefs could never keep Mahomes if it was run like MLB. He'd be gone after his rookie deal. Or if we did shell out, we couldn't afford to pay Kelce and Hill when their contracts come up. It would be Mahomes and a bunch of scrubs.

It doesn't matter that a bunch of different teams have won the WS recently. MLB games are very high variance. The playoffs are a crapshoot. But the Dodgers, Yankees and Sox are still favorites to make the playoffs every year, while teams like the Royals have to tank for a "window".

That the Dodgers only have one WS win is well within normal variance. They could just as easily have 3 or 4 WS wins, and then finally maybe everyone would admit Baseball's competitive balance sucks.

[jd1020]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

It doesn't matter that a bunch of different teams have won the WS recently. MLB games are very high variance. The playoffs are a crapshoot. But the Dodgers, Yankees and Sox are still favorites to make the playoffs every year, while teams like the Royals have to tank for a "window".

Good teams favored to make the playoffs. Breaking stuff.