With the Atlanta Braves crowned World Series champions, the 2021 MLB offseason is now in full swing for all 30 teams. Free agency has begun, but it likely will take some time before some of the more prominent players come off the board.
The current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is set to expire on Dec. 1, and to this point, there has been little to no progress in talks between MLB and the Players Association.
If a new deal isn’t reached before the deadline, it would all but ensure a lockout, putting a freeze on free agency and potentially jeopardizing the start of Spring Training next year.
A work stoppage is the last thing any side wants, but the prospect of one appears to be increasing by the day. According to Evan Drellich of The Athletic, the league and union each have turned down a proposal in recent negotiations:
But on the core economics, the piece both sides are most concerned with, the gap is large. The league and union have made one such proposal each, and neither was well received by the other party. More discussions are to come as the deadline nears.
MLB and the Players Association haven’t been able to agree on much over the past few years, so it isn’t surprising that each side rejected the first proposal presented to them.
The league and union still have just under a month to settle their differences if they hope to avoid the sport’s first lockout since the 1994-95 players’ strike, which lasted 232 days.
A new CBA — whenever agreed upon– figures to address several concerns, including new rule changes, competitive integrity and service-time manipulation.
Manfred: Difficult to evaluate ‘progress’ in CBA negotiations between MLB, MLBPA
Despite the odds being stacked against them in hammering out a new CBA by the Dec. 1 deadline, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred recently assured the baseball world that both sides will do everything possible to avoid a lockout.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and more!
