Baseball fans have every right to feel slighted right now, as the first two series of each MLB team have been postponed as team owners and the players union continue their standoff that's been underway since December.
Of course, the news broke today that Bob Castellini of the Cincinnati Reds Reds, Chris Ilitch of the Detroit Tigers, Ken Kendrick of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Arte Moreno of the Los Angeles Angels have all opposed the MLB luxury tax increase to $220 million.
However, there has been a bit of good news released. According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the union has come back to the bargaining table.
He writes:
“Sources: As the two sides look to jump-start the CBA talks, the union has approached MLB with an offer to re-open talks on the 14-team postseason field, with the idea it can exchange this for more flexibility on the CBT numbers and other issues.”
“Hearing from sources on both sides of the CBA talks that they are hopeful that a renewed discussion of the 14-team playoff field could be a potential breakthrough — for talks that need a breakthrough.”
Sources: As the two sides look to jump-start the CBA talks, the union has approached MLB with an offer to re-open talks on the 14-team postseason field, with the idea it can exchange this for more flexibility on the CBT numbers and other issues.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) March 4, 2022
Hearing from sources on both sides of the CBA talks that they are hopeful that a renewed discussion of the 14-team playoff field could be a potential breakthrough — for talks that need a breakthrough.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) March 4, 2022
Commissioner Rob Manfred has already stated his desire to expand the MLB postseason, saying that it would be good for all those involved.
“We’d like to expand the playoffs. It is good for players and for clubs, and it’s also good for our fans. The vast majority of whom enjoy playoff baseball. We think the new format will encourage more clubs to compete while giving more players the opportunity to participate in the postseason.”
It was former Detroit Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer, one of the key MLBPA representatives, who stated that the 14-team playoff proposal was nothing but a red line that could not be crossed.
The players and MLB owners had met for nine consecutive days before Manfred made the decision to officially postpone the start of the regular season.
— Quotes via Dodger Blue Link – –
