The Major League Baseball Players Association raised several new issues today as part of its third official proposal in the ongoing CBA negotiations. These latest proposals are related to “jobs, programs, and access to data,” as described in the union’s press release. Below is the most recent:
- Expanding active MLB rosters from 26 to 28 (maximum 14 pitchers) through the first 15 days of the regular season.
- Allow placement of players on IL 60 days prior to November non-tender deadline
- Reduce the number of optional assignments during the season per player from five to three
- Accelerate player eligibility for the Rule 5 draft and move the Rule 5 draft to the end of November for the final CBA season
- Offer MLB’s payout for September draft picks
- Provide four additional days of MLB service time and salary for child-select advertisers during the week of the All-Star break or immediately following the game. where they pitched three or more innings or threw at least 50 pitches (as reported by Ronald Blum of the Associated Press)
- Enable all players to access non-proprietary performance data and video collected by the club
The Athletic’s Evan Drellich and ESPN’s Alden González report more details on the union’s desired changes — many of which are designed to limit roster movement and increase salaries for players on the fringes of the 40-man roster. They’re certainly not as important sticking points as the economic issues at the heart of the game, but they’re all player-friendly measures where MLB could seek some sort of concession.
From the league’s perspective, the most important issue is salary and cap space, while the MLBPA maintains that the salary cap is a non-starter. The union wants a significant increase in the major league minimum wage, a minimum arbitration tender, and a pre-arbitration bonus pool, as well as a lower service time limit to reach free agency for players over 30.
As one would expect from a union proposal, these measures will benefit the players to a lesser degree. For example, expanding rosters from 26 to 28 for the first 15 days of the season would create 60 new Opening Day roster jobs and a total of 900 additional days of major league service time and salary.
The second and fourth propositions are complementary; each will increase the chances of a player being named to their team’s 40-man roster at the start of the offseason. This can help both free agents and prospects.
Currently, players cannot be placed on the 60-day injured list until the start of Spring Training. Those recovering from long-term injuries (eg pitchers rehabbing Tommy John surgery) count against the team’s roster throughout the season. Raising the 60-day IL eligibility by a few months would open up more 40-man spots, giving teams more ability to secure prospects from the Rule 5 draft and/or sign free agents to a big league deal.
The union proposed raising player eligibility in the Rule 5 draft by one year. Currently, players who begin their professional careers at age 18 or younger (ie most high school students and international signees) are eligible for the Rule 5 Draft after five seasons in the minors if they are not added to the 40-man roster. Those who sign at age 19 or older (which means most are still enrolled in college) are eligible for Act 5 after four years. The union’s proposal today would increase those four and three years, respectively. Being on the 40-man roster accelerates a player’s timeline to a major league career.
Increasing the Rule 5 draft a week in CBA years is designed to ensure that every fall happens. Draft Rule 5 takes place in early December at the Winter Meetings. The CBA window typically expires on December 1 of every fifth season, at which point the league is expected to immediately begin a lockout that halts all offseason activities. That resulted in the cancellation of the draft Rule 5 for 2022 and will do the same this year unless it is upgraded; The MLBPA has proposed moving this year’s Rule 5 draft to November 24.
Once a player is on his team’s 40-man roster, he typically has three option years (although teams may grant a fourth option to a player under certain circumstances based on his minor league experience). In an option year, a player can be sent down to the minors without prioritization in termination up to five times. Players without guaranteed contracts do not receive a major league salary when drafted in the minors. And they are not accumulating major league service time.
That is why the union is trying to limit the number of times a player can be selected. That’s also why the union wants players to continue to earn major league salary and major league service time if they are selected for roster reasons rather than performance reasons. It’s common to see a designated pitcher favor a new arm after making a spot start or throwing a few innings of mop-up duty.
The last suggestion is less directly related to salary than any other, but it may be more interesting. The wording suggests that players currently don’t have access to all the information their teams use to make decisions about them — decisions like when to add to the 40-man roster, when to select or recall them, and what to give them in settlement. Access to this information will help players make their cases for arbitration hearings, contract negotiations, and potential appeals.
Drellich and González also reported on several other proposals that were not included in the union’s statement. Most of them have to do with the trade deadline. First, the MLBPA requested that the trade deadline be scheduled at least two days outside of a player’s first-year signing deadline. They also want to increase the deadline by a week.
Under the current CBA, the league can set the trade deadline for any day between July 28 and August 3. The union is proposing changing the window to July 21-27. Presumably, this is because players would like to know where and where they will be sold soon and have more time to settle in with their new clubs. In addition, the MLBPA requests that players removed from the 40-man roster remain eligible for trade after the deadline. This will increase the chances of those players getting another big league opportunity in August and September.
Other minor requests include a list of religious accommodations, a designated third party to hold emergencies, and a formal rule that allows teams to send veterans out of options for adoption if they sign within 10 days of Opening Day. According to Blum, they also proposed a possible extended minor league rehab window for pitchers coming back from shoulder surgery or a chest dissection, similar to the current setup for those undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Meanwhile, Drellich reports that MLB made a small proposal of its own Wednesday related to the Unified Drug Agreement. The league wants to expand the list of banned drugs while giving them the opportunity to communicate with teams if one of their players has failed the test but continues with the appeal process. Those interested are encouraged to read the full columns from ESPN, The Athletic and AP for a complete list.
