The Lockout Diaries: Week 14

[Nick Nelson]

Dear journal,

It's been 98 days since darkness fell upon the world of baseball. We're closing in on triple digits, as the assurance of a shortened (at best) season sets in and the two sides continue to spin their wheels in contentious negotiations.

Tuesday and Wednesday brought glimmers of hope, with marathon negotiating sessions seemingly leading to real breakthroughs. The league and union, at last, were moving toward a true compromise on core economic issues.

Then, out nowhere, the international draft popped up and became a primary sticking point. With Wednesday's "deadline" bearing down, a late exchange of proposals and demands went nowhere, leading Rob Manfred to announce the cancellation of another week's worth of games.

The dream of an on-time home opener at Target Field is now dead. The Twins won't be hosting the Mariners on a cool, crisp afternoon before thousands of eager fans on April 7th. The possibility of a full 162-game season – remote as it always might've been – is essentially out the window.

Now, it's a question of how much the season will be shortened and devalued. How much more acrimony will be built in this bitter standoff. As paychecks and service time evaporate due to a league-imposed lockout, the grievances only mount and compound.

The two sides continue to talk – perhaps out of grudging obligation as much as anything – but there's no indication of daylight in this dreary saga. They're propping up new hurdles before they can surpass the existing ones. They're getting further from the finish line. 

Sure doesn't feel like spring.

 

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[Major League Ready]

This not getting done because of the implementation of an International Draft is absolutely absurd.  It's good for American players but a problem for international players?  Not to mention it would be good for the game.  They should be packing their bags for spring training.

[Jeff A]

It's hard for me to think that either side truly believes the international draft issue is worth losing games over.  I think the two sides have simply lost all perspective.  One side thinks, "We don't really care about this, but we know they don't want it so we're going to demand it", and the other side thinks, "We don't really care about this, but we know they want it so we're going to reject it."

[Whitey333]

Such a sad state of affairs!  Players and owners bickering over money that most sane people drool over.  I've been a longtime twins and MLB fan but am very disgusted about the direction of these negotiations and baseball in general.  I never thought I would say this but I'm getting to the point that I don't care if they come back.  Now granted at some point they will agree and baseball will return.  But at what cost?  Will the greedy owners and players only be concerned about lining their pockets and not care about the state of the game itself?  Or will the real cost be alienating an already fragile and declining fan base.  It appears they don't really don't care about the game or it's fans.

[Blyleven2011]

As much as I love the game of baseball ,

I'm not going to let the idiots RUIN my life ...

If or when it gets done ,,, WE PLAY BASEBALL 

[roger]

Hopefully, we will end up with a 154 game season.  That's probably how long the season should be as it would enable opening day to be around April 10.  Makes a heck of a lot of sense for all the northern teams.

If it is true that there is a lot of fraud related to the current International process, a draft makes a ton of sense.  Imagine, like the DH, it will take until the next CBA to get solved. 

[MN_ExPat]

2 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

This not getting done because of the implementation of an International Draft is absolutely absurd.  It's good for American players but a problem for international players?  Not to mention it would be good for the game.  They should be packing their bags for spring training.

I had MLB on last night, and Harrold Reynolds was blathering on about the International Draft and I was thinking the same thing.  He was decrying how it was a travesty for all these "poor international players" to be the subject of an "unfair" draft. 

 The only thought that came to mind was exactly that, "So... it's ok or even good for American and Puerto Rican players to be subject to its whims, but foreign players and their handlers can do whatever they want??".

[Dave The Dastardly]

Baseball negotiations have fallen victim to the national malady; logic and rational thought have fallen by the wayside and taking one for the Gipper has been replaced with one-up-manship.  There is no "I" in team and there currently is no "we" in baseball.

 

[tony&rodney]

Isn't it amazing that both teams of negotiators, all highly paid, struggle so mightily to be rational. The quibbling is crazy. Jeff A (comment above) may have the most correct say on the matter. Are they having too much fun being in the news to complete a deal? The owners win, always. The players have received what they mostly wanted. If they don't want a draft, kick the can down the road and call it a three year deal. Another couple of weeks and now there are actually serious problems, which will be much more difficult than any of the issues currently discussed. Finish it.

[USAFChief]

Any lingering sympathy towards the MLBPA surely has to be gone, no? Objecting to an international draft? There is no good reason for that. None.

 

I call again for ownership to break the MLBPA once and for all. It's been done in other pro sports, and helped the game. 

[flags]

31 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Any lingering sympathy towards the MLBPA surely has to be gone, no?

no

[LastOnePicked]

37 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Any lingering sympathy towards the MLBPA surely has to be gone, no?

No. However, I do concede that they're in the wrong here. An international draft is needed. Yes, I admit that it may limit contract-signing paydays for a number of foreign players (and their families) who dream about it and work hard for it. But US-born players are also subjected to a draft, and a draft for international signings makes things more equitable/fair across the industry. 

Seems very much that MLBPA should be working on a plan to figure this out by 2024 and start the season now.

[MN_ExPat]

Just posted to MLBTR (https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/)

[sampleSizeOfOne]

6 hours ago, USAFChief said:

lingering sympathy

Mmmm.

 

A way with words, you have.