Major League Baseball is preparing to deliver its “best offer” to the players union ahead of Tuesday’s 5 p.m. league-imposed deadline for the sides to strike a collective bargaining agreement.
The league released a statement Tuesday afternoon, citing “a decidedly different tone” from the union since Monday night’s talks.
MLB extended its original deadline of Monday to get an agreement done.
“We thought there was a path to a deal last night and that both sides were closing in on the major issues,” MLB told outlets. “The MLBPA has a decidedly different tone today and made proposals inconsistent with the prior discussions. We will be making our best offer before the 5 p.m. deadline that’s a fair deal for players and clubs.”
That best offer, according to ESPN:
–Competitive balance tax, or luxury tax, of $220 million in the first three years of the deal to $230 million in Year 5.
–A $5 million increase in pre-arbitration bonus pool to $30 million.
–An increase of $25,000 for league minimums to $700K per year, moving up $10K per year after.
The MLBPA’s previous offer still leaves the sides with major gaps.
According to ESPN, the union’s previous offer was:
–CBT starting at $238 million in Year 1 to $263 in Year 5.
–Bonus pool starting at $85M with $5M annual increases.
–Minimums starting at $725K and going up $20K per year.
“MLB has pumped to the media last night and today that there’s momentum toward a deal,” pitcher Alex Wood said in a tweet. “Now saying the players tone has changed. So if a deal isn’t done today it’s our fault. … We’ve had the same tone all along.”
–Field Level Media