Elephant Rumblings: Little lockout movement after a week of negotiations

It’s the weekend, Athletics Nation!

There were meetings every day this past week between MLB and MLBPA, including multiple meetings yesterday. What progress have we gotten from all the offers and counter-offers passed back and forth in the last five days? Not a ton, but more may be coming.

As reported at The Athletic by Evan Drellich, at least one area of negotiation seemed to be close to resolved, as both sides are nearing a consensus on the draft lottery. While they haven’t completely met in the middle after multiple meetings and offers made, reports state that talks are close with just a few areas to level out. Rob Manfred even made his way to the Spring Training complex where talks are happening, and met with MLBPA’s Tony Clark.

While this isn’t necessarily a bombshell when it comes to the lockout, it does show that some ground is being broken in discussions. Considering the incremental steps taken with each prior day’s meetings, this is the kind of headway that’s good to see. Though with Monday’s deadline almost here, there will need to be a furious pace set to get everything hashed out.

With no resolution today, the league has cancelled the Spring Training games for March 5-7. Meaning that if a deal is reached by end of day Monday, the earliest we would be able to see preseason play is ten days from now.

As the lockout has been so belaboured, it’s hard to have optimism for next week. Negotiations are set to continue though the weekend, so we should have a good idea of the state of affairs as the deadline rolls in.

A’s Coverage

• Clemens: Tony Kemp Made an Adjustment. Can Pitchers Counter?
• Ruminski, Goldberg: 1 player each AL team should sign when lockout ends

MLB News & Interest

• Drellich: MLB, MLBPA make progress on draft lottery; spring training games cancelled through March 7 ($)
• Shea: MLB lockout strife: Should we fast-forward to owners’ Monday deadline? ($)
• Gammons: As MLB owners and players talk past one another, here’s what I want to see coming this spring ($)
• Sarris, Lewis: The future - and present - of baseball is in biomechanics ($)
• Posnanski: Fangraphs Money
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