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
Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501:
Well, the good news is that one of the worst commissioners in the history of sports will be managing this negotiation
Adam Silver is the worst commissioner and it's not even close [Reply]
Originally Posted by IowaHawkeyeChief:
Spin your numbers all you want, but teams are not on a level playing field, no where close. The next time the Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox lose 100 games, let's talk...
100 loses in baseball equals a 6-10 season in the NFL and a 100 win season in baseball equals a 10-6 season in the NFL. [Reply]
Originally Posted by oldman:
I used to be a fan, but I'm tired of seeing big market teams in the WS every yar. Sure enough, teams like the 2014-5 Royals strike gold every blue moon, but LA, Atlanta, and the Yankees seem to get more than their fair share due to their payrolls. Until MLB establishes revenue sharing and a salary cap, it's just going to continue. Couple that with the average KC fan not being able to see a single game of the Royals without going to the ballpark or paying an arm and a leg for cable extra chanels --I say screw that.
Same (but for Colorado for me). I don't think it'll ever happen, but I'm surprised that the MLB thinks they make more money when it's dominated by big market teams all the time. I enjoy going to Rockies games, but it's sure hard to really get in to watching when they're constantly in the bottom. [Reply]
I lost all interest in baseball in 1994 when they went on strike mid season when Griffey Jr was on a run and had a chance to break the home run record without needing steroids to do it.
I see it this way…if you can’t figure out the business side of how to split up billions of dollars fairly during the offseason, you deserve for your golden goose to die. You’re making a choice to punish the fans for your greed.
Fuck baseball and it’s greed.
I was prepared to do the same thing with football if they started missing regular season games during the last CBA negotiations, too. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry:
100 loses in baseball equals a 6-10 season in the NFL and a 100 win season in baseball equals a 10-6 season in the NFL.
Yes and in today's MLB, it is much much much harder for big market teams to lose 100 games with the economics involved. It's also much harder and rarely occurs for a 100 loss team to make the playoffs the next year. [Reply]
Owners aren't looking for a hard cap and players aren't looking for a significant change in FA rules. So the two things that could implode the whole smash aren't even on the table.
Meanwhile there was enough of a warning period that most of the major FAs have already signed so winter meetings weren't even necessary.
Originally Posted by loochy:
soccer for sure. there's constant action and it's over in a set 90 minutes.
Soccer is the best sport in the world. An american might think 'oh the ball went into the stands, that's a tv timeout and I'll have a chance to do tiktoks a bunch of times over. So this is fine.
But in soccer, the clock runs. It runs all the time. You dont get a tiktok time out. They grab the ball and the game continues. I absolutely love it. So do they.
I spent 2 months in England once. Ate more baked beans for breakfast than I ever would have expected.
They aren't into endless stoppages. Game will fail there. No englishman will accept 80% commercials during the "game". They laugh at us for that and they should [Reply]
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
They'll figure it out.
Owners aren't looking for a hard cap and players aren't looking for a significant change in FA rules. So the two things that could implode the whole smash aren't even on the table.
Meanwhile there was enough of a warning period that most of the major FAs have already signed so winter meetings weren't even necessary.
Much ado about nothing.
There will be games missed.
The owners basically proposed a de facto cap with proposing implement a floor and lowering the ceiling for when the luxury tax occurs. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
I read they talked about raising the luxury tax ceiling but not by as much as the players preferred.
Originally Posted by :
Proposed payroll minimum of $100 million per club funded by a 25% tax on payrolls above $180 million. On existing luxury tax structure, proposed raising threshold to $214 million in 2022, rising to $220 million in final season.
Originally Posted by :
The current rules have three luxury-tax tiers that include steeper penalties the higher a team's payroll climbs. The first tier takes effect at $210 million, with a 20% tax. The new proposal would reportedly keep the three tiers intact, and add a fourth, lower tier that begins at $180 million with a 25% tax. The penalties would increase from there with each tier.
Some details: MLB offered to raise 1st luxury tax tier to $214m, peaking at $220m
MLBPA free agency proposal: Year 1 of deal, no change, 6 years service to become FA Years 2-3: 6 years—or if age 30 1/2 & 5 years of service Years 4-5: 6 years—or if age 29 1/2 & 5 years service
They appear to have dropped the $180 million payroll minimum (though it seems odd that the MLBPA would have a problem with it; it's a re-allocation of money - that will end up being plowed into the floor and require those teams rolling $50 million payrolls to get more active in FA -- that should be HUGE for 'middle class' free agents).
Moreover, recent reports are that it's the arb and FA eligibility issues that are really the sticking points for the PA and MLB has come to them a little bit in some of those areas. Yes, they may have to come a little further, but it's not something I think the owners will dig their heels in on, especially if they can get the luxury tax stuff ironed out.
The lockout was designed to prevent what happened in 1994, when the players and owners sat on their asses too long and suddenly February was here and nobody had gotten serious. The lockout is an attempt to keep everyone at the table until a deal is done.
The owners aren't messing with guaranteed contracts or a hard cap - this will get resolved. [Reply]