OT MLB/MLBPA CBA negotiation points, personnel

[LadyStanley]

Instituting a free agency age could solve the MLBPA's two biggest problems in the next CBA

On August 27, the MLB Players Association named sports litigation expert Bruce Meyer their new senior director of collective bargaining and legal. Then, on September 5, the union named sports lawyer Xavier James its new deputy chief operating officer.

The two new hires strengthen MLBPA's senior management and are yet another indication the union is preparing for a tough fight with MLB and the owners in the next round of collective bargaining agreement negotiations. The current CBA does not expire until December 2021, so a labor fight is not imminent, but it is brewing. The MLBPA is not happy about several things and there are already rumblings about a potential work stoppage.

Issues include veterans (30+) not getting paid and prospects and "teams are manipulating the service time of their young prospects." (Such as keeping prospects in minors for first three weeks of season gives them 7 years of service, not 6.)

Fixing free agency and eliminating service time manipulating are priorities 1 and 1A for the union in the next round of CBA talks. It won't be easy, especially after the MLBPA conceded so much in the last two CBAs, but that's why the union hired people like Meyer and James. They're getting ready for a hard fought battle. Getting MLB and the owners to cave won't be easy.

From the MLBPA's perspective, it seems to me the best way to fix the free agency and service time issues is to push for a free agency age. Players become a free agent following their age-28 season or after six years of service time, whichever comes first. That's the idea. And maybe age 28 isn't the right number. Maybe it's 27, or 29. That will have to be collectively bargained.

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[tony d]

When is that CBA up? The MLB/MLBPA is one of the more harmonious in the 4 major sports so hope that continues.

 

[LadyStanley]

As quoted in OP: December 2021

 

[StreetHawk]

Instituting a free agency age could solve the MLBPA's two biggest problems in the next CBA



Issues include veterans (30+) not getting paid and prospects and "teams are manipulating the service time of their young prospects." (Such as keeping prospects in minors for first three weeks of season gives them 7 years of service, not 6.)

3 weeks to retain an extra year? Wow. Compared to the NHL where a player has to be on the roster for half a year that’s a big difference.

But when you have the haves and have nots an extra year is huge so I get why they do it.

 

[LeHab]

1. Service time has to be fixed for sure.
2. Veterans not getting paid enough? Here is a quick fix, play better! There is no collusion, signing vets to lengthy expensive contracts has proven to be a bad idea. Perhaps MLBPA would like to become a "true union" and compensate based on seniority rather than performance?

 

[LadyStanley]

Minor League Baseball players explore forming a union

Minor league baseball players fed up with $10k minimum salary. They're looking to start union.

Could have impact on MLB CBA negotiations too.

 

[chizzler]

Looks like my days of watching baseball is going to come to an end if there’s a lock out again. I’ve been through enough of them. As it is, I’m starting to get bored with it and the ticket prices are through the roof. Billionaires quarreling with millionaires.

 

[KevFu]

3 weeks to retain an extra year? Wow. Compared to the NHL where a player has to be on the roster for half a year that’s a big difference.

But when you have the haves and have nots an extra year is huge so I get why they do it.

It’s quirky…

MLB service time is built on 172 days = a year of service time. But there are about 183 days in a baseball year to get your 172 days.

In September, rosters expand so you can check out your young prospects and evaluate them**

If you’re a September call-up and make your MLB debut, you’d be at 0.030 service time.
If you start the next season in the majors and play six years, you’d have 6.030 service time and be a free agent.

What teams are doing instead is starting players in the minors the next year and waiting to call them up until there’s only 141 days left in the season (about May 12). That way, there’s six more full seasons until they’re a free agent and hey hit free agency with 6.171 service time.

Without a September cameo, the you’d have to wait the two weeks in April.


There’s another factor involved, and that’s MLB players become eligible for arbitration after three years of service time, EXCEPT for “Super 2,” which is the top 22% of players with at 2.130 service time.

So prospects who are “ready” are being held in the minors until after 54 days so they’re not arbitration eligible after two years.

But because it’s percentage based, teams are basically in a game of chicken because everyone is trying to manipulate the line.

 

[KevFu]

1. Service time has to be fixed for sure.
2. Veterans not getting paid enough? Here is a quick fix, play better! There is no collusion, signing vets to lengthy expensive contracts has proven to be a bad idea. Perhaps MLBPA would like to become a "true union" and compensate based on seniority rather than performance?

1. The service time thing is “fine” if they eliminated Super 2. Teams would have far less reason to manipulate it.

The other thing they should do is say “everyone on the 40-man roster gets service time in September” and change the roster rules from “you CAN call up those other 15 guys and have them eligible” to “all 40 guys are eligible to be on your game-day roster, 25 per day.”

Right now, players you’re trying to manipulate don’t get called up, but teams can have all the rest available in every game. Philadelphia is using ALL 40 guys. They played Miami last weekend and 15 pitchers were used and not a single one batted (A first in MLB history for a non-DH game)

If you went to all 40 eligible, but a daily list of 25 active, you’re basically getting four extra roster spots per game (instead of 15), because your four other starting pitchers are going to be scratches.

There’s really no difference in terms of “playing time” for the September Call-Ups, the limiting factor is still innings. Instead of using six guys to get six outs twice, now you’d use three guys to get six outs one day, and a different three the next day. Everyone has the same IP as the old way — but we’d cut the number of pitching changes in half.

MLB was so worried about visits to the mound slowing down the game, they limited the number per game.

If you’re worried about “pace” why keep an antiquated system that allows for 14+ mid-inning pitching changes per game?


2. There's nothing that can be done about the veteran Free Agents not being offered big money. Analytics are about maximizing efficiency and limiting risk. The data shows signing long contracts to old players are HIGH RISK.

The only thing they can do is trade Super 2 and arbitration years for earlier free agency, which means more players are younger when they hit free agency and more likely to get longer, bigger contracts... OR means that the "older veteran" on a second free agent contract is a year younger and less risky.