clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

MLB reiterates February 28 deadline to play a full season

Playing a full season becomes less likely by the day.

MLB Owners Meetings Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

Major League Baseball and the MLBPA held another bargaining session Wednesday in Jupiter, Florida. The meeting lasted past 5 p.m. ET, but again minimal progress was reported. The most noteworthy thing to come out of Wednesday’s session was the owners doubling down on their stated deadline of February 28.

The owners are effectively saying that if a deal isn’t finished by the deadline, then games will be cancelled and a shortened season will be played and players will not receive their full salaries.

The league’s proposal for Wednesday upped minimum salaries another $10,000 which is just another minimal move that we have seen multiple times already this week.

The gap is still wide and neither side has touched the CBT which is arguably the biggest issue along with the pre-arbitration bonus pool. As ESPN’s Jeff Passan points out, there is still a wide chasm between the two sides and things are going to have to turn around in a hurry if they hope to get something accomplished before the owner’s self mandated deadline.

The league’s announcement Wednesday reiterating a hard deadline rings hollow given that this is an ownership induced lockout that could be lifted tomorrow if they so desired. It won’t happen because they would then cede leverage to the players. Remember that the offseason never had to stop. The owners didn’t have to sit on their hands for six weeks after instituting a lockout either.

It is also worth questioning as to whether or not the owners actually want to play a full season. A shortened schedule limits the amount of money paid to the players and an expanded postseason would likely allow the league to recoup all of what was lost. It is a situation that is similar to what we saw in 2020.

Both sides are scheduled to meet again Thursday and if there are positives in any of this, it is that they are still talking and meeting. However, at this juncture, it looks as though there is simply too wide a gap to cross in such a short time.

Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for the Battery Power Daily Roundup newsletter!

A daily roundup of Atlanta Braves news from Battery Power