MLB and the players, as you may know, are back at the drawing board today to work out the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement. The new deadline is at 5 p.m.
The issue yesterday was clearly, as I said, the number of teams in the playoffs. MLB wants a 14-club playoff while players feel that at 14 teams might just “sneak” into the playoffs, giving them less incentive to spend. They want 12 teams maximum.
One hour from the deadline, the number of teams in the playoffs is the big problem
Players don’t want to go up to 14.
MLB was however ready to make big monetary concessions to have 14 clubs, but obviously, on this one, the players seem to have won since everything indicates that there will only be 12 clubs in the playoffs.
We imagine that the MLBPA will have to cut elsewhere since we have just understood that the ESPN network, which broadcasts the playoff games, was ready to put a small fortune on the table for a playoff with 14 clubs.
We are talking about $100 million per year here.
In comparison, a 12-team series would mean that the American network would be willing to spend $85 million per year for broadcast rights.
ESPN’s first round of playoff agreement is separate from its SNB and spotlight regular season games.
7 years for $450 per year for regular season.
14 team playoff would add another $100M per year
12 team playoff would be projected to be in the $85M range per year
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) March 1, 2022
14 teams in the playoffs would make more money and make better playoff runs, but the players don’t want it.
Obviously, the players therefore dropped a big chunk in the negotiations, namely the grievance against the teams who refuse to spend to win.
Word is this won’t be part of the CBA deal begging negotiated. Bigger fish to fry. https://t.co/bXATNvlSnD
—Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 1, 2022
There are still issues to settle (including that of an international repechage or even the special defense), but if the negotiations have to get out of hand, it will not be in these cases.
It will be more in connection with economic issues. We’ll see in five hours, then.
