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MLB lockout: Your FAQ guide to the work stoppage and its history

By Noah Yingling

Mar 26, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; The gates are chained and locked at Dodger Stadium. Opening day between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 26, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; The gates are chained and locked at Dodger Stadium. Opening day between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jul 7, 2020; Baltimore, Maryland, United States; A detailed view of a lock on the Eutaw Street entrance gate at Oriole Park at Camden Yards before the Baltimore Orioles workout . Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 7, 2020; Baltimore, Maryland, United States; A detailed view of a lock on the Eutaw Street entrance gate at Oriole Park at Camden Yards before the Baltimore Orioles workout . Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

What are the main issues being fought over in the MLB lockout?

Both the MLB owners and MLBPA have been fairly quiet on negotiations, but here are some of the biggest hold-ups.

  • Currently, players become free agents after six full seasons in the majors. The MLBPA would like this to be sooner and it would like arbitration (achieved after three full seasons or a player is a “Super Two” (aka within a week of MLB service time or so of having three seasons) to be sooner too.
  • Service-time manipulation (if a team keeps an MLB-ready player in the minors for a month or so to start the season, the team get an extra year of control of the player before arbitration and free agency).
  • Salaries have been shrinking in the last two years or so. MLBPA is not happy about this.
  • Having younger players and minor league players to get more pay and (for minor leaguers) being part of the MLBPA. MLBPA wants more pay for younger players since younger players are in their prime.
  • MLBPA wants measures to be put in so teams cannot “tank.” A “salary floor” is part of this.
  • There are some issues that are being discussed but they are, by and large, agreed upon (universal DH, expanded playoffs, pitch clock, etc.). They are largely agreed upon in thought but the implementation could be different (e.g. 12 playoff teams or 14 playoff teams, etc.)

Next. Free agency tracker: Where the top 25 free agents have signed. dark

When will the MLB lockout end?

No one knows exactly when the lockout will end. However, considering the tenor of recent conversations between the two sides, it seems like that there may be a lookout for, potentially, months.

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