MLB Nears Bargaining Deadline as Lockout Looms

If no new agreement is reached by late Wednesday night, M.L.B. owners could use a hammer immediately: a lockout that freezes all transactions. If that were to happen, team executives would not be allowed to talk to players, make major-league signings or swing trades.

Although lockouts have occurred in the four major men’s North American professional sports leagues in instances like this, they are not a requirement. Should M.L.B. and the union make progress in their negotiations in the waning hours, the owners could temporarily hold off on enacting a lockout.

On Tuesday morning, M.L.B. officials and owners such as Hal Steinbrenner of the Yankees, Mark Attanasio of the Milwaukee Brewers and John Henry of the Boston Red Sox emerged after more than 30 minutes from a meeting in which they heard a proposal from the union. They retreated to their hotel to talk but returned to the players’ hotel in the afternoon.

In a large conference room, union officials and a contingent of players (an estimated 60 were in town for the union meetings) huddled with M.L.B. officials and the owners for over 30 minutes.

Each side then broke off into their own conference rooms. At one point, Andrew Miller, a top union representative who pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals this year, and Bruce Meyer, the union’s lead negotiator, walked off with Dick Monfort, the Colorado Rockies’ owner and the chair of the league’s labor committee, and Dan Halem, M.L.B.’s lead negotiator.

After nearly an hour, the groups parted ways. M.L.B. officials and the owners got in their cars to leave, while the players returned to their rooms. They planned to gather again on Wednesday. What happens next is in their collective hands.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/30/sports/baseball/mlb-lockout-cba-deadline.html