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Can they please just get this done so that I can feel free to check in here 5,000 times a day to see if they've traded Kimbrel yet!!

C'mon man. They aren't coming to an agreement any time soon. It is funny, the deadline for the full season was 2/28, then 3/1, now 3/8, they really mean it this time.

It's almost like he came into the league after basically not playing for an entire year and hit the wall at the end of the season. Strange

Imagine that, MLB owners are being disingenuous.

You know you've done well for yourself when you have a tax named after you.

So basically the owners want to implement a Steve Cohen tier tax which makes total sense. If the players reject this offer because of this specific element then the players are being selfish and truly don’t care about the competitive balance of the game.

It's Bob, so take it how you will.

There is a massive difference between being objectively lower than consensus on a player and having a bizarre hatred for a player. I literally can only think of two examples of the latter on this site, which are tray with Vaughn and you with Madrigal. And I love posts like this that rip an entire site by calling it “weird” and yet the same poster continues to post at said place day after day. Condescension at its finest!

You actually got the answer to this yesterday - remember when we talked about how with a $180 million payroll cap the White Sox couldn't have signed Gravemann or Leury? The White Sox are a prime example here. They would, by every account we've ever heard, insist on staying below the tax line. They have 3-4 positions they need help at - backup catcher, starting pitcher, RF, and 2b (maybe reliever if someone were to take Kimbrel). Right now they have $13 million to spend below last year's tax level to fill those 4 positions. That means they'd be spending on average $3 million per spot, meaning everyone would be bargain hunting. Blow that up to $230 million, suddenly the White Sox can spend $33 million while still staying under the tax. Now they go sign a Conforto (he gets more money out of it), they trade for Bassitt, and they still have $5 million to spend on 2 more positions. Upping this limit means that a team like the White Sox can bid on either mid or high level guys, and that gets those mid-level guys contracts.

Man. I've told myself I wouldn't get sucked in again 35 tweets ago. I'm next, save some hopium for me.

I’ll take the over…I think a deal will be agreed to today with both sides conceding a bit on various issues, including a 14 team playoff setup.

I just feel like the WC1 is better than the third division winner a lot of the time and just happen to play in the same division as the top division winner. It would also completely eliminate travel from those first series and speed up the process (which then means one less day the top two division winners have to sit and wait).

Any bye or hfa is overrated....as we all know it's more important to be properly rested and healthy for the post season.

The Dodgers and 11 other teams.

Counting against the cap is pretty small in grand scheme of things - but the flat is probably a negotiating point that has to get adjusted.

continue the roller coaster

The only question is what are the owners not telling us which will sink this ship.

Don't forget about the Dodgers. Before Cohen they were outspending everyone, by a lot.

You’re reading it right. This is basically a Steve Cohen tax.

man, i've had the kind of day where finding out baseball will exist again at the end of it would be just peachy

The first tier of the CBT is already a defacto salary cap for most teams. Tell me this Jack, how many instances have teams exceeded the third tier / second surcharge? I’m not sure it’s ever happened, so this proposal affects one single team. And given that small market owners already are resistance to raising the first tier of the CBT, this seems like a great compromise for all parties.

This seems like a good offer but I think MLB is low on the pre-arb pool. Other than that, I think this has the potential to get done. If they could meet in the middle on the pre-arb pool I think we might have something.

There's a reason Reinsdorf tried blocking Cohen from buying the Mets. He knew what was coming when I guess enough of them did not. Billionaires living in fear of Steve Cohen actually wanting to win is pretty sad.

Ooh I like that, that hammers tanking for picks. Detroit would have been hit by that. White Sox would have been hit by that.

A new surcharge level can’t be a deal breaker, right? Please?

If MLB is proposing $230M and the other numbers are close to what we’ve seen reported, they have to be close enough to make tweaks and find a deal. Unless owners are trying to slip bullshit in last minute again.

If they reach a deal this week you guys can thank me for declaring the 2022 season canceled in a 2AM doompost yesterday morning..... Hopefully the reverse jinx works like a charm. I declared baseball over for 3 years and it didn't happen. just FYI I'm poking fun at myself.

FFS players, that's a fair deal. Take it. Just make the 14 team play-off the structure Garfein laid out yesterday, and I am fine wiht it.

Madrigal has the same problem. He has to show he can stay healthy.

I wonder why that part got left out, lol.

More money for MLB and less access for fans. How lovely...

Job security is one thing many unions negotiate for. Just look at how crazy the NFL reports is about Rogers getting 153 out of 200 million actually guaranteed. Guarateed contracts are immensely important and a huge advantage for the MLB players.

If you push up the bottom and the top, you push up the middle with it.

After not playing essentially any real MiLB ball. Weird, right?

Appreciate the optimism that is not deserved by the process

I don't get all the love for Vaughn. He flat out disappeared last six weeks of 2021 season.

I’m fine with zero tolerance for gambling, but I can’t sit by & argue that someone making $1,500 in bets in favor of their own team should receive a penalty substantially worse than someone who actually uses PEDs to cheat, physically abuses a women or child, or risks exposing their immune-compromised coach to COVID by faking their vaccination status. And I’m sure I’m in the minority here, but I find the NFL’s suspension structure to be a total sham and this is further proof of that.

I don’t even care what they’re fighting about. I don’t identify with either side. I’ll watch games when it’s over. No matter what happens, fans will be the biggest losers.

I don't know that it is rudderless as much as a small revolt within the ranks with the new guys and the establishment. I think a lot of those guys are not comfortable with Cohen and his potential spending going forward. Not as much adrift as one group foot on the gas and other foot on the brakes. I'm still stunned that Arte Moreno of all people wants to curb spending

Interesting change

It certainly should be. "Pigs get fat...hogs go to slaughter."

Unless MLB makes huge concessions I'm fine with this dragging on. I hope the players don't feel any pressure to settle.

Wow! Also… this California dude drove by the Cell yesterday and will be in Chicago again 3/9 and 3/10 and 3/11. Let me know if anyone wants to grab a bite.

Please let tomorrow be a stellar day!!!

At 76 years old...you are a young whippersnapper to me. Like you...long time lurker.