The players are still trying to make up the losses they have suffered in the last 20 years. It isn't that complex. While the owners offered some "improvements", they weren't nearly the improvements which will keep in line with what the revenue gains have been, and certainly will be in the coming years with the revenue streams they are opening. They players expected more, and asked for more. So while the owners finally moved off of their small increases to minimum wages, the players asks were even higher. With 70% of players in that under $1 million per season bracket, those numbers not only become a lot of players defacto paychecks, they also set the middle salaries by establishing a floor. They wanted move than a "move in the right direction" they wanted a move that is commiserate with the new revenues coming into baseball. That's a fair ask.
Working under the old deal would have allowed them both to keep negotiating while playing and moving forward. They weren't going to keep that deal forever. It is an extremely common technique in labor negotiations which aren't poisoned to work under the conditions of the old deal until a new one can be reached. The typical action after that is to go back and make up the differences once that deal is reached.
It wasn't about keeping the old deal, it was about not unnecessarily stopping baseball to force the player negotiations capitulation, which has now failed. We are now at Day 92, and having had the first cancellation of baseball in 27 years.
