Thread by @EugeneFreedman

This has shades of the restart negotiations in 2020. Players get paid in the regular season. Teams get paid throughout spring training, regular season, and playoffs, but make the most of their money during the late pennant race and playoffs. Consequently, MLB cares less about 1/

https://twitter.com/bnicholsonsmith/status/1494498299327434766

missing early regular season games. The players consider all of the games the same from a financial standpoint.

This lockout was as much to lock out Steve Cohen and other high spending owners during a lapse in the CBT as it was to put pressure on the players to reach 2/

agreement quickly. Management hasn't shown any interest in acting quickly despite public statements to the contrary.

The sunset of the CBT in the expired CBA was a very deft negotiating tactic to make it a management ask during these negotiations rather than merely status 3/

quo. But, it put the players between management's need to reign in their own fellow owners.

The real pull is whether management needs to control spending more or increase revenues more. Of course they want both. The Union has proposed both. But, now management wanting it all 4/

on both has the high likelihood of costing the players money in the immediate term.

Taking expanded revenues off the table if players take a short-term hit on income leverages one of management's two big desires.

@Bbl_Astrophyscs reminded me that this also helps with 5/

@Bbl_Astrophyscs fans. The players want the full 162 game schedule. The owners are willing to cancel them for more money in the short and long term. But, the fans may not be listening unless it's reported accurately.

Like many of the past labor negotiations since the 80s and maybe before 6/

@Bbl_Astrophyscs MLB uses the CBA as a tool to control owners as much as it does to create standards with the employees. The last few CBAs have been especially effective in that regard. They need that to continue. But, will the carrot of expanded playoffs and greater long-term revenue get them 7/

@Bbl_Astrophyscs to move quicker? And, will they be willing to move quicker on lifting those management controls through the CBT? Or would they just prefer to pay full salaries to players for 162 even in the absence of a full slate of games because that's more cost effective?

So far MLB has 8/

@Bbl_Astrophyscs shown no urgency. This is the Union's first attempt to use leverage so far. In light of the face-to-face between the chief negotiators this may be a line in the sand. We'll see how serious both parties are about their strongly stated positions in the next week. /end