Collective Bargaining Agreement talks have quieted over the past week or so. MLB owners requesting mediation — and the Players Association’s subsequent denial — have brought negotiations to an awkward stalemate with Spring Training about one week away from its scheduled start.
As it stands, the impetus to submit an offer is on the owners. The Players Association was the most recent side to submit any form of proposal, and their offer was swiftly rejected. Instead of a quick counter, the owners chose to regroup, further putting the start of the 2022 season at risk.
This week, owners are reportedly taking part in a three-day meeting in Orlando. The hope being that after those three days are up, negotiations can continue without any further posturing, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network:
MLB owners meet Tuesday-Thursday in Orlando, where they will regroup. The union expectation is a new MLB offer will come soon, and presumably that happens after the owners convene. It’s obviously getting late with spring training originally scheduled to start 10 days from today.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 6, 2022
If the Players Association is expecting an offer upon the conclusion of this three-day meeting, the hope is that there is some momentum towards a deal as early as Thursday. However, given how these talks have gone up to this point, that remains an unlikely outcome.
The belief remains that the start of the regular season can happen on time so long as a deal is struck by mid-to-late February. Approximately four weeks of Spring Training — between games and COVID protocols — are needed to begin the season.
So while the long-winded negotiations continue, it’s possible that we could soon see an uptick in urgency from both sides.
Jose Mota joining Dodgers booth
While players and their MLB teams are not allowed to have any contact, the team is allowed to make other personnel decisions. This includes the broadcast booth, where long-time Los Angeles Angels personality Jose Mota is reportedly on the move up the I-5.
Mota announced that he is leaving the Angels organization last week, but rumors have already spread that he will be starting the 2022 season with the L.A. Dodgers. His role has not yet been revealed, but that is the expectation.