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Braves Lockout: What MLB and the Players are Fighting About

By Jake Mastroianni

SAN QUENTIN, CA - APRIL 29: Branden Terrel hits against Club Mexico on April 29, 2017 in San Quentin, California. Branden Terrel was sentenced to 11 years in state prison for the 2012 stabbing death of one of his friends. In an agreement between the prosecution and defendant, Terrel pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. When sentenced, Terrel requested to spend his time behind bars at San Quentin State Prison. He did so because of all of the programs that San Quentin offers to its prisoners. The programs range from carpentry classes, to drama groups, to computer coding and also athletic programs such as baseball.Prisoners at San Quentin State Prison have been playing baseball since the 1920s. Starting in 1994, the inmates started playing against players from outside the prison. San Quentin now has two baseball teams, the San Quentin Athletics and the San Quentin Giants.The baseball program is run by Elliot Smith. He spends two days at San Quentin each week helping to coach both of the teams at practice and during games. The program is open to all prisoners, except for those on death row, in solitary confinement and in protective custody. Smith brings in teams from all over the country to play after the San Quentin teams. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN QUENTIN, CA - APRIL 29: Branden Terrel hits against Club Mexico on April 29, 2017 in San Quentin, California. Branden Terrel was sentenced to 11 years in state prison for the 2012 stabbing death of one of his friends. In an agreement between the prosecution and defendant, Terrel pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. When sentenced, Terrel requested to spend his time behind bars at San Quentin State Prison. He did so because of all of the programs that San Quentin offers to its prisoners. The programs range from carpentry classes, to drama groups, to computer coding and also athletic programs such as baseball.Prisoners at San Quentin State Prison have been playing baseball since the 1920s. Starting in 1994, the inmates started playing against players from outside the prison. San Quentin now has two baseball teams, the San Quentin Athletics and the San Quentin Giants.The baseball program is run by Elliot Smith. He spends two days at San Quentin each week helping to coach both of the teams at practice and during games. The program is open to all prisoners, except for those on death row, in solitary confinement and in protective custody. Smith brings in teams from all over the country to play after the San Quentin teams. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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We enter a big week for Major League Baseball with a lockout likely coming on Thursday and rosters freezing. Can the Atlanta Braves get anything done first? 

There is still a lot of work left to do for the Atlanta Braves this offseason, but those plans might get put on hold with MLB and MLBPA unlikely to come to a new agreement before the CBA expires at 11:59 PM ET on Dec. 1.

It’s more a matter of when (which I just told you) than if at this point. The only question is whether or not transactions will be frozen along with the lockout — and most believe that will be the case.

That’s why we’re likely to see a flurry of moves over the next couple of days for free agents who want to go ahead and get a deal done.

Especially with the non-tender deadline being moved up so players who are non-tendered will have an opportunity to sign with a team before the lockout happens.

I’m hopeful we see a big announcement from the Braves before Wednesday night.

Braves Lockout: What’s All the Arguing About?

Both sides have done a really good job of keeping negotiations out of the media, which is smart; although it makes our jobs a little harder on what to write about.

This article on The Athletic (paywall) gives some details as to what the major issues are from the player’s side.

If you want to boil it down to one thing, it’s money — that’s what these negotiations are ultimately always about.

The players want fair compensation for younger players who get paid so little during a time they’re so valuable to their team.

I’m very much against this as it would kill small market teams who can only compete by getting great production from young players who are pre-arb or arbitration-eligible. The Tampa Bay Rays would pretty much cease to exist.

It would also lead to young players leaving the team that developed them far too early. Call me old school, but I love players who come up through an organization and stick around for a long time.

Plus, that’s just not fair to the team who drafted or signed them (investing big money into them then), trained them, “raised” them, and then two years into the big leagues they can’t afford them anymore and have to trade them away to a big market team.

Maybe raise the minimum salary and allow them to enter arbitration sooner, but I wouldn’t want to see a complete overhaul of that system.

The other thing players want that I’m more on board with is less tanking by teams. Players want it so teams will spend more money on players, but I want it because I want to see a league where more teams are trying to win every year.

I would be in favor of a payroll floor, requiring teams to spend at least $100 million in a season.

There were 12 teams last year that finished the season with a total payroll under $100 million — that’s ridiculous, even for small market teams.

Only two of those teams made the postseason — one being the Milwaukee Brewers whose payroll was $99 million, and the other is the Rays who are just special.

There will be other things negotiated like the DH, pace of play, and expanded postseason, but those are minor in the grand scheme of things and just used as bargaining chips by either side to try and get what they want.

Next. Are Mets Catching the Braves. dark

Hopefully we’ll get more details after the lockout officially starts, but stay tuned as this may be the most active week of the MLB offseason.

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