Oct 15, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; General view of batting practice baseballs before game one of the 2021 ALCS between the Houston Astros and the Boston Red Sox at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The Major League Baseball Players Association made a counteroffer with minor adjustments during Tuesday’s bargaining sessions with the league in Jupiter, Fla., multiple outlets reported.
The union lowered its ask of 80 percent of players with two to three years of service being arbitration-eligible down to 75 percent. It also reduced its call from an eight-team draft lottery to seven, one day after the league outlined a four-team lottery.
The MLBPA sought $30,000 increases of the players’ minimum salary year over year — up from $25,000 — raising the minimum from $775,000 in 2022 to $895,000 by 2026.
The issue of the competitive balance tax, better known as the luxury tax, was not brought up Tuesday, reports said.
The two sides will return to the table Wednesday, with the league set to take its turn countering.
Spring training has been postponed as a result of the lockout, with games delayed until March 5 at the earliest.
A recent report by USA Today said the owners provided a deadline of Feb. 28 for a new agreement in order to begin the regular season on time. Opening Day is tentatively slated for March 31.
–Field Level Media