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A14 sports
Monday 7 March 2022
MLB reacts angrily to locked-out players, season still off

By RONALD BLUM The union offered to in-
AP Baseball Writer crease the postseason
NEW YORK (AP) — Major from 10 teams to 12 but
League Baseball reacted said they are willing to dis-
angrily to the latest offer by cuss management’s desire
locked-out players when for 14 if MLB would con-
bargaining resumed Sun- sider a “ghost win” in the
day, accusing the union of first round, which manage-
backtracking and showing ment isn’t interested in. The
no sign of a breakthrough higher seeds would open
to get the derailed season the best-of-five playoff with
back on track. a 1-0 series lead.
The squabbling sides talked Players want to raise the
for 95 minutes on the 95th luxury tax threshold from
day of the lockout, largely $210 last season to $238
restating their positions to million this year, $244 million
each other. Talks broke off in 2023, $250 million in 2024,
Tuesday after nine days $256 million in 2025 and
of negotiations in Jupiter, $263 million in 2026. MLB
Florida, and Commissioner is at $220 million in each
Rob Manfred canceled the of the next three seasons,
first two series of the season Major League Baseball Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem, left, Senior Vice President Patrick $224 million in 2025 and
for each team, a total of 91 Houlihan, center, and Executive Vice President Morgan Sword, right, arrive at the office of the $230 million in 2026.
games. players’ association in New York for labor negotiations, Sunday, March 6, 2022. MLB spokesman Tax rates would remain un-
This was the first meeting Glen Caplin is at far left. changed and direct ama-
since then, coming in the Associated Press teur draft pick compensa-
first season delayed by la- We will try to figure out revenue sharing while re- The group would consider tion for free agents would
bor strife since 1995. Man- how to respond, but noth- ducing their request on the rules changes for no earlier be eliminated.
fred was in the MLB offices ing in this proposal makes it bonus pool from an original than 2023 covering a pitch The union lowered its plan
Sunday but did not attend easy.” $120 million. They also have clock, limiting defensive for the pre-arbitration bo-
the bargaining sessions. Trying to resolve baseball’s offered to agree to uniform shifts and using larger bas- nus pool from $85 million
The union followed the four- second-longest labor stop- and helmet advertising. es, and it would be able to but asked for $5 million an-
day recess by putting many page, the sides remained After the main session, recommend changes dur- nual increases over the re-
of its proposals in writing. far apart on luxury tax, mini- Deputy Commissioner Dan ing the offseason with 45 mainder of the deal. MLB
“We were hoping to see mum salaries and the pro- Halem and union chief ne- days’ notice for implemen- last offered $30 million, up
movement in our direc- posed bonus pool for pre- gotiator Bruce Meyer held tation. MLB last week pro- from $25 million, with no
tion to give us additional arbitration eligible players. a one-on-one meeting. posed that the committee annual increase, and sug-
flexibility and get a deal The union lowered its start- Players suggested the sides include six management gested the union had orally
done quickly,” MLB spokes- ing point for the bonus pool meet again Monday, and officials, two union repre- floated a figure of lower
man Glen Caplin said. by $5 million to $80 million MLB told the union it would sentatives and one umpire. than $80 million when the
“The players’ association but left its proposals for the get back with a decision Currently, management sides discussed possible
chose to come back to us luxury tax and minimum sal- on whether to meet. can only change rules with trade-offs Monday night.
with a proposal that was ary unchanged. Among the few areas with union consent or unilater- As part of an overall agree-
worse than Monday night Players declined to publicly new proposals, players ally with one year of notice. ment, players agreed to
and was not designed to respond to MLB but have said a fast-track compe- Players said they will not al- withdraw their proposed
move the process forward. maintained they withdrew tition committee should low the committee to con- expansion of salary arbitra-
On some issues, they even their proposals for expand- include four union ap- sider one topic MLB asked tion for players with at least
went backwards. Simply ed free agency and ar- pointees, six management to be included: robots to two years of service but less
put, we are deadlocked. bitration and decreased members and one umpire. call balls and strikes. than three.q

They’re off: Mushers begin trek to Nome;

Seavey seeks record

ting their sights on Alaska’s the pandemic. Instead, the in just days before the race
western coast. race started in Willow, went started to run musher Nic
The race will take the to the ghost town of Iditar- Petit’s team after Petit said
mushers across Alaska’s od and then doubled back on Facebook he contract-
untamed and unforgiv- to Willow. ed COVID-19. Also in the
ing terrain, including two Seavey is looking to make race are 2018 winner Joar
mountain ranges, the fro- history by becoming the Leifseth Ulsom and 2019
zen Yukon River and the un- first musher to hold six titles. winner Pete Kaiser.
predictable Bering Sea ice. Seavey has said he will Fifteen mushers signed up
The winner is expected to likely take a break after this but withdrew from the race
Sean Williams, a rookie musher from Chugiak, Alaska, takes cross the finish line in the year’s race to spend time before it started, including
his sled dogs through a snowstorm in downtown Anchorage, western Alaska coastal with his daughter. Petit and the 2020 winner
Alaska, on Saturday, March 5, 2022, during the ceremonial start community of Nome about There are two four-time Thomas Waerner of Nor-
of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. nine days after the start. champions in the race with way, who wasn’t able to
Associated Press For the first time ever in Martin Buser and Jeff King. secure travel documents to
WILLOW, Alaska (AP) — The Trail Sled Dog Race started 2021, the race did not fin- Buser is running in his 39th the U.S.q
50th running of the Iditarod Sunday with 49 mushers set- ish in Nome because of Iditarod, and King stepped