CBA '21-'22 Thread

[revo]

MLB characterized today’s talks as “productive” and are scheduled to meet again tomorrow.

[harmon]

Apparently MLB cannot unilaterally cancel games. They need MLBPA approval to do so, which they almost certainly will not give. Manfraud was able to do so in ‘20 because they had agreed to a special deal which allowed him to implement changes as he saw fit for that season only.

So there is hope.

Do you have a source on this?

I assume the lockout overrides it tho?

[revo]

Do you have a source on this?

I assume the lockout overrides it tho?

This was according to Dan Szymborski of Baseball Prospectus.

[revo]

Today's the big day! Three months of near inactivity all leads to this!

[revo]

[revo]

It should be noted that MLB can lose up to 20 games before it affects their TV contracts. If I'm in the MLBPA, after this threat, they should threaten to sit out the entire season.


Also, at this point, why wouldn't the remaining free agents, of which there are many and many good ones, sign one year deals overseas? What do they have to lose?

[ThatRogue]

It should be noted that MLB can lose up to 20 games before it affects their TV contracts. If I'm in the MLBPA, after this threat, they should threaten to sit out the entire season.


Also, at this point, why wouldn't the remaining free agents, of which there are many and many good ones, sign one year deals overseas? What do they have to lose?

Easier said than done (moving overseas). Family considerations, language considerations, health, training and dietary considerations…etc. There’s a lot to work through for established players expecting $10M+ annual salary contracts. How many of those players can Japanese or Korean leagues (probably the two closest to MLB in terms of talent) sign at those salaries? What if you suffer a significant injury? It’s probably better for them to continue working through the negotiation process & wait it out at this point.

[cleo]

Here is what I don't get.....
MLB players have it much better as far as guarantee contracts when compared to NFL, NBA and NHL players. Not to mention that MLB players do not have the same long term health risk of CTE's as the other sports and I am thinking they would also have a longer career span as well.

MLB also has a much larger player pool and many players can spend most of their career in AAA and still make a very good living.

I just don't have much sympathy for the players in all of this. This is how I see it, but I am sure that I am missing a number of points from the players perspective.

[Sour Masher]

Here is what I don't get.....
MLB players have it much better as far as guarantee contracts when compared to NFL, NBA and NHL players. Not to mention that MLB players do not have the same long term health risk of CTE's as the other sports and I am thinking they would also have a longer career span as well.

MLB also has a much larger player pool and many players can spend most of their career in AAA and still make a very good living.

I just don't have much sympathy for the players in all of this. This is how I see it, but I am sure that I am missing a number of points from the players perspective.

It is hard to compare sports as they are all different. For instance, NBA players, on average, make twice as much as MLB player, and more than any other sport too. It makes sense that basketball players make the most--the sport is really popular, they play a lot of games, and have the smallest teams of any of the major sports, so with a smaller player pool, there is more money for all players.

But I don't think players care what players of other sports make. They care about getting a fair share of revenue generated in their own sport, and the owners in baseball, more than any other sport, have been shady as hell about opening their books so players could see what they really make. So, it may be that players are asking for more than reasonable, but if that is the case, that isn't really their fault--they are making best guesses based on available information.

From the player's perspective, they have a system that severely suppresses earning early in careers, limits player choice for much or most of their prime earning years, and allows for teams to spend less on their entire payroll than other teams spend to sign one player. And they play twice as many games as NBA or NHL and 10x as many as football, with a longer season than other sports, so while it is not as popular a sport, the revenue is still there. We know the tv deal money at the very least. Players see that money, see themselves as the talent that makes it all happen, and want a fair percentage of the revenue to go to them. Baseball owners insist the players are asking for too much, but refuse to open their books so we can all find out, which makes players believe they are lying about how much they make. It is a reasonable assumption.

If many teams really are losing money, why not open the books and let the players see that? Why not open the books and tie salaries to earnings like they do in other sports? The fact that baseball owners do not want to do that makes it difficult for me to have any sympathy for them. Despite the poor me claims of owners, we do see the revenue the Braves bring in and they are doing quite well. My assumption is that is true for most baseball teams too, and if some teams are making 100s of millions while others only break even, that is something the owners need to work out among themselves with revenue sharing. The players just want their cut, and the owners won't even be open about what total revenue and expenditures are.

[revo]

Easier said than done (moving overseas). Family considerations, language considerations, health, training and dietary considerations…etc. There’s a lot to work through for established players expecting $10M+ annual salary contracts. How many of those players can Japanese or Korean leagues (probably the two closest to MLB in terms of talent) sign at those salaries? What if you suffer a significant injury? It’s probably better for them to continue working through the negotiation process & wait it out at this point.

Why? Players do this all the time.

As far as how many, they are limited, but at this point, should be targeting as many as they can. In fact, even locked out players under contract would be eligible to play overseas, and Bryce Harper already (jokingly?) reached out to the Yomiuri Giants today.

[Bene Futuis]

MLB also has a much larger player pool and many players can spend most of their career in AAA and still make a very good living.

An average AAA baseball player makes about $15,000 according to The Athletic as of 2018. The average single-A baseball player makes $6,000, while an average double-A baseball player makes $9,350.

https://sportblurb.com/average-aaa-baseball-player-make-in-salary/

[revo]

The two sides have been going since 10am today. Do we have a miracle in our midst?

[Sour Masher]

The two sides have been going since 10am today. Do we have a miracle in our midst?

A part of me has always felt/hoped that all of the negative news was posturing that is to be expected during negotiations. Bluster and threats with both sides knowing it was in their best interest to get something done to restore the peace and get things back to business as usual. So, I am anxiously awaiting news from the meetings today. I feel the same way about geopolitics, but have less optimism there.

[ThatRogue]

Why? Players do this all the time.

As far as how many, they are limited, but at this point, should be targeting as many as they can. In fact, even locked out players under contract would be eligible to play overseas, and Bryce Harper already (jokingly?) reached out to the Yomiuri Giants today.

Players with large contract expectations don’t do this all the time. Players only do this when they’re offered overseas money that MLB isn’t going to offer.

[revo]

Players with large contract expectations don’t do this all the time. Players only do this when they’re offered overseas money that MLB isn’t going to offer.

While that’s true, we also haven’t had the possibility of a lost season while many players are still free agents.