LOCKOUT

MLB ‘Deadlocked’ With Players’ Union After Talks Resume

The work stoppage appeared set to continue after MLB said the other side presented a proposal that was “worse” than the previous one, going “backwards” on several issues.

Major League Baseball officials were frustrated with an offer presented by locked-out players after labor negotiations resumed on Sunday, saying the union’s proposal was “worse” than the previous one and backtracked on key issues. The organization said bargaining between the two sides, which took place for the first time since the first week of the season’s games were canceled on Tuesday, had “deadlocked.” A spokesperson for MLB said they had been hoping to “get a deal done quickly,” but “the players association chose to come back to us with a proposal that was worse than Monday night and was not designed to move the process forward. On some issues, they even went backwards.” The sides are at odds over issues like luxury tax, minimum salaries, and the proposed pre-arbitration bonus pool, according to Reuters. The union has refused to budge on the first two matters, but raised its baseline for the bonus pool from $5 to $80 million, the Chicago Tribune reported. The season, which was supposed to begin March 31, is the MLB’s first to be delayed by labor issues since 1995.