Report: MLB, MLBPA Lawyers Met Monday, Plan to Meet Tuesday

According to Evan Drellich of The Athletic, lawyers from MLB and the MLBPA met on Monday, unbeknownst to the industry.

The meetings, which happened over Zoom, featured the owners presenting a much more versatile offer, which would suit both sides nicely, according to Bob Nightengale.

In reality, the deal which was presented by the league featured the luxury tax, a highly divisive topic amongst the two, starting at $228 million, and increasing to $238 million by the end of the next CBA, according to Jon Heyman.

This is in comparison to the union, who wanted the luxury tax to start at $238 and increase to $263 by the end, per Heyman. One player reportedly felt that the offers still favor the league too much for their liking, per Ken Rosenthal.

Representatives from both sides plan to meet again on Tuesday, with the league putting extra weight on both sides. If a deal is met on Tuesday, a full 162-game season is still on the table, as well as full-service time and pay for the players.

The two series which got canceled would be added to the end of the regular season, with Opening Day potentially being moved back a week from March 31, per Nightengale.

However, if an agreement is not reached on Tuesday, according to Drellich, the league has informed the union that they're ready to cancel another week of games.

MLB has told the Players Association it expects to cancel another week of games without a deal reached tomorrow, sources tell me and @KenRosenthal.
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) March 8, 2022

Echoes from last Tuesday start to enter the minds of those in the industry, as the deadline for a full season has been reset. The players left Saturday's meeting in a "deadlocked" state, so hopefully, they'll break free of it on Tuesday, but as one player told Rosenthal, “I’m done getting my hopes up.” The feeling is mutual for baseball fans.

More From SI's Inside The Phillies:

Make sure to follow Inside the Phillies on Facebook and Twitter!