Players, executives, agents on MLB lock status

We spoke with MLB executives, agents and players to get their thoughts on the state of MLB being locked down and whether matches could be in jeopardy.

Major League Baseball and the MLBPA are scheduled to meet again on Saturday to negotiate the CBA. But with pitchers and catchers set to report next week, not only is there virtually no chance of starting spring practice on time, but it’s now more likely that Opening Day will be delayed. they eat.

A large group of players have spoken out in recent days about their dissatisfaction with the way MLB has handled negotiations, with Kansas City Royals midfielder Whit Merrifield speech: “It seems to me that to finalize the Collective Bargaining Agreement you need to haggle… the players are still waiting. … Based on the league’s incredible annual revenue, we feel players with 0-3 years of service should be better compensated. We want to balance the competition so that EVERY team is focused on winning year after year. We want to fix service time manipulation.”

Here are six agents, executives, and players on the current state of negotiations, the long-term divisibility of the lockdown, and what a player hopes to see in the next CBA.

If we don’t have an agreement by You’ll start to worry that School Day is about to be in jeopardy

Agent 1: March 1. I believe the risk is too great, both injury and poor form, to cut an ST segment short. I know people are pursuing it as best they can, but there is no substitute for pursuing it in a full camp.

Agent 2: Given the recent circumstances (delay + request for settlement), I have considered the Scheduled Opening Day to be extremely illusory.

What is your opinion on the current state of the MLB key negotiations?

Agent 1: I believe we’re going to be camping late (obviously. But I’ve been saying this since November). But we will have an opening date. Too much to lose for both sides. MLB needs to address the core problems and stop ignoring our efforts to find solutions. Fans deserve a better product. The NFL will appeal to all of our fans if we do this.

Agent 2: No feeling at all. I’ve heard rumors from many people about the start of the lockdown that May/June could be a realistic timeline, but that’s the second/third side and I have no direct knowledge about them.

Director of Reception Office: Laugh out loud.

Agent 3: We won’t have baseball anytime soon.

Agent 4: If I overbooked at the close, I would set it around March 20th. That’s the point where I can see that there is enough tangible financial pressure on both sides to spur movement. .

What is the biggest problem(s) preventing a deal from being made?

Agent 2: The dishonesty, impatience of Rob Manfred and the excessive greed of the big market bosses who pull Manfred’s strings. Also, it fails to capture the gravity of the moment from a branding perspective for the sport as a whole. With his extremely aggressive negotiating stance, Manfred is effectively circling his convertible (MLB) as if he were on a race track with airbags and a fire suit on. In fact, he was leaning over the edge of a cliff and was about to make a catastrophic, perhaps fatal, error. He doesn’t seem to care about his fans because he thinks he will have them forever. My suspicion is that that is very far from the truth and that the fans will leave and not come back.

What long-term ramifications are possible from this locking?

Agent 4: If this course is pushed through the spring, we’ll see MLB lose the meager national audience it left behind. The sport will recede further into the NHL’s “local-only” range of interest rates it has been aiming for for years. The negative economic impact of the second season being shortened by three years could also hasten the brain drain that has already begun on the main office side (federations/teams and agencies) of the game. . It’s already a tough deal to make money and another year at 50-70% sales will be a disaster forcing many bright minds out of the sport, which will further accelerate the lack of ” adult in the room” helps guide the game from all angles.

Is there anything you want more than anything else in the next CBA?

Kyle FreelandColorado Rockies pitchers: I have to protect my boys, so one thing I would aim for is the age limit of being an agent. You have a career track and field athlete who honed for 8-9 years and finally made it to the majors and he can finally hit the freestyle at a certain age and not have to make 6- 7 years serving the major league time. That would be something I would like to see.

Around Horn:

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