Negotiations regarding a new posting agreement between Major League Baseball and Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball have been postponed, according to an announcement from the MLB Player’s Association. While the MLB and NPB seem largely on the same page, the union has the right to authorize any agreement and has engaged on the subject.
It’s a one-day extension at this time, per the MLBPA announcement. Last we heard, the union had set a deadline of 8pm EST today to get something done. With issues still remaining, though, the sides have evidently decided to keep talking for at least another day. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links) reported earlier that there was optimism on a deal, but that some “gaps” still remained.
The news is critical, of course, for the MLB move sought by Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. For now, he remains in flux, with virtually every major-league organizations watching closely to see if and when he’ll formally be made available.
There appear to be a few areas which the sides need to sort out before we’ll learn Ohtani’s fate. Passan cites some bargaining over the timeline of a MLBPA-proposed window during which NPB teams can make players available for transfer, though that seems to be something where some give-and-take can result in agreement. Jim Allen of Kyodo News, meanwhile, hears of a more fundamental dispute over the question whether posted players can be pulled back if their ultimate contract does not result in a sufficient fee to their NPB club. (Twitter link.) Because the new proposed system would allow the Japanese team to receive a percentage-based fee, rather than the fixed sum that previously was utilized, the question of revocability of posting is of added importance.
In November 2016, there were 10 trades of significant MLBers and 16 FA signs of MLB talent.
In November 2017, there has been 1 trade (Healy to SEA) and 1 sign (J-Up to Angels).
This Otani thing really has a stranglehold on the offseason, hurry up and get him on the table so the Hot Stove season can finally get underway!
I blame Boras
I know Grant Holmes and Daniel Mengeden for Yelich needs to happen already, right?
*yawn* get over it
There were a few free agent signings in the days before rosters needed to be set and the trades (Neshak, McCann, Kendrick, Maybin) were mostly teams getting rid of expensive players they didn’t want. So the market might be a few days behind but it’s likely to pick up now that teams have set their 40-man rosters.
Gotta love the league giving Otani special treatment
Unions wont ever go away, you scab loving douche
MLBPA has legitimate concerns on posted players impacting existing FA. Deadline of Nov 15 going forward and no pull back-ever. Non negotiable. MLBPA will be fine w/o Ohtani. No more extensions.
Of course Clark is MLB’s puppet so…….