NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred canceled 93 more games, appearing to cut off the chance to play a full 162-game schedule and threatening locked-out players with loss of salary and service time.
As the sides narrowed many economic differences to a small margin, they became bogged down over management’s attempt to gain an international amateur draft. Talks on that narrow topic were to continue. In the meantime, on the 98th day of the lockout, Manfred announced two additional series had been canceled through April 13.
That raised to 184 games wiped out from the 2,430-game regular season, or 7.6%.
Negotiators for locked-out players made their latest counteroffer to Major League Baseball after Commissioner Rob Manfred let pass his deadline to reach a deal preserving a 162-game season.
The sides negotiated on and off for 16 1/2 hours until 3 a.m. Wednesday morning, then broke for the union to hold a morning conference call with its executive board.
Union chief negotiator Bruce Meyer and general counsel Ian Penny walked three blocks through a wintry mix of rain and snow to deliver the proposal to MLB's office, then headed back to the union headquarters.
The Associated Press reported that the major hurdle was the league wanting to hold an international draft.
According to ESPN, the league proposed that the draft begin in 2024, with teams being placed in pods of seven or eight with draft positions rotating so the top amateur talent could be made equitable access to.
On Tuesday, the league also offered a tax threshold starting at $230 million and rising to $242 million.
Earlier in the week, the MLBPA started at $238 million in 2022 and then raised it in 2026 to $263 million.
On Monday, the union asked that the bonus pool in 2022 be $80 million, then the league came back Tuesday, offering $40 million from their initial offer of $30 million.
The minimum salary this season was offered by MLB to be $700,000, but the union wanted $725,000.
