Baseball’s new CBA is done
Major League Baseball’s player’s union and the owners have agreed to a new CBA, avoiding a lockout.
Baseball fans can all breathe a little easier tonight.
According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, the MLBPA and the owners have agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement. The sides had a deadline at midnight of December 1, and a lockout would have gone into effect if a new CBA was not ironed out.
Source: CBA is done.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 1, 2016
News had been leaking out from league insiders throughout the day that a new CBA was close. Several key sticking points in the negotiations centered on international free agents, the luxury tax, and the structure of the qualifying offer system. The official terms of the new agreement have not yet been made public knowledge, but both sides likely made concessions to get a deal done and avoid a work stoppage.
The owners had interest in an international draft rather than the current free-agent system, but the players balked at that proposal. Rosenthal did report that changes would be made to the current bonus pool system for international players. Jon Morosi is also reporting that teams will no longer lose a first-round pick to sign qualified free agents.
Under discussion in CBA talks, per sources: A cap for each team on spending for int’l amateurs, as opposed to current pool/penalty system.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 30, 2016
Another proposed change would give teams an active roster of 26 players for most of the regular season rather than the current 25. As a trade-off, adjustments would be made to the expanded-roster period that occurs each year after September 1.
With the new CBA in place, expect free agency to heat up. Many MLB executives were waiting to see how the new luxury-tax would affect their budgets. Yoenis Cespedes did sign with the New York Mets, but he was a special case given his clear desire to remain with the Mets. Edwin Encarnacion may be the next big free agent to sign, as early as the end of the week.
Related Story: MLB Trade Rumors: Curtis Granderson to the Blue Jays?
Regardless of the terms of the new CBA, this is a big win for baseball, avoiding a lockout on the heels of an exciting postseason. Baseball is in an excellent place right now, and a work stoppage would have only served to sour fans’ relation with the game.