Feb 21, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred reacts as he speaks to the press during Spring Training Media Day at The Arizona Biltmore. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dodgers: MLB and MLBPA Have Not Set Meetings to Discuss New CBA
As we entered the new year, there was some optimism that MLB and the Players' Association might begin having earnest CBA discussions. The two parties have every chance to make things right and get baseball back on track.
However, don't expect anything to happen any time soon baseball fans.
According to the most recent news, MLB and the Players Association have yet to schedule a meeting for the new year. I'm not an expert, but I do know that if the two sides don't even speak with each other, nothing will get accomplished.
Evan Drellich of the Athletic reported in December that the MLB and MLBPA did not plan on resuming negotiations until 2022.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, who reported that there was no meeting scheduled, said the two sides have only met twice since the lockout began.
This could be for a multitude of reasons, all of which are related to money. The league and the MLBPA could be more confident than the general public that a deal will be reached before spring training is scheduled to begin. Plus, even millionaires and billionaires need some holiday time-off.
However, the lack of a meeting should be concerning to baseball enthusiasts. MLB is supposed to have players report for Spring Training camps in February, less than a month away. That means time is in short supply.
Additionally, there's a large pool of unsigned veteran players who will need to find employers quickly. Getting baseball started on time could be quite the challenge for all involved.
