Report: MLB, MLBPA to Meet Monday, Union to Present Counterproposal

MLB and MLBPA are reportedly scheduled to meet on Monday, their second meeting since the lockout began on Dec. 2, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. 

The union will reportedly present a counterproposal to the league’s offer from last week, which the MLBPA previously rejected. However, unlike the previous meeting, the two will reportedly meet in-person. 

The league and the MLBPA could not reach a new collective bargaining agreement before Dec. 2, leading to the sport’s first work stoppage in 26 years. When the lockout became official, commissioner Rob Manfred released a letter to fans, saying that the players have been unwilling to bend during negotiations. The MLBPA released a statement upon the start of the lockout, calling it a “dramatic measure” and stating its intent to reach a new agreement that is fair to all parties.

Per ESPN, the players association’s rejection to the initial proposal from the league was expected—and it was not a positive reaction. The deal reportedly included a 14-team playoff and the creation of the universal designated hitter, among other details, according to Sportsnet Canada’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold respectively.