CBA Negotiations Update as Looming Lockout Is a “Certainty”

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported that CBA talks have begun between the MLBPA and the league, but he said it seems a lockout is a certainty. While there is incremental progress, Heyman said they haven’t talked much about the important economic issues.

Jesse Rogers of ESPN provided an update on some things being discussed in the negotiations. The first thing he mentioned that is being discussed is expanded playoffs.

Fans got their first taste of an expanded playoffs system in the shortened 2020 season. That setup featured 16 teams making the playoffs, which included a best-of-three wild card series. The winner of that series moved on to the divisional series, and the postseason would continue as normal from there.

The new proposal from MLB would feature a 14-team postseason. All three division winners get spots, as well as four wild card teams from both leagues. The team that has the best record in each league gets a bye into the divisional round. From there, the two divisional winners will pick their opponents for a best-of-three wild card series. The team with the best record of the two remaining division winners chooses first.

That would leave two other wild card teams that would play each other. The higher seed in each wild card series will host all three games on consecutive days. The winners of each series would move on to the division series, and the postseason would proceed as it has in the past.

The other concept on the table right now is a potential lottery system for the draft. This system would take influence from the NBA lottery system.

This layout would give all non-playoff teams a chance at the first, second, and third picks in the MLB draft. The team with the worst record in the majors would be given the best odds at getting the first pick. The odds would get worse as the records go from worst to best out of non-playoff teams.

After picks No. 1 through No. 3, the non-playoff teams would draft in order of their records. It would be in backward order of how they finished like it is currently. Once the non-playoff teams draft, the playoff teams will pick in reverse order of how they finished, leaving the World Series champion getting the No. 30 pick in the draft.

There are certainly other things on the negotiation table that will be revealed as the potential lockout transpires and these two sides try to find some common ground.