Baseball’s labor talks will extend into November, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said today, pushing closer to the Dec. 1 expiration of the current five-year CBA with the MLBPA. Manfred earlier this year had expressed a goal of striking a new deal by the end of the World Series. But he confirmed that talks will extend beyond the end of the season. “We’re all still working really hard at it, and I remain optimistic we can reach a new agreement with the players,” Manfred said. Asked more specifically about the timetable, Manfred said, “It’s a very safe assumption we’ll be at it into November.” MLB completed the last labor deal in '11 with about three weeks to spare before expiration of the prior agreement.
Among the unresolved issues is MLB’s continued push to create an international draft, which has already generated planned no-shows for a showcase event in the Dominican Republic later this week by some Latin American trainers who develop young players in the region.
Meanwhile, Manfred appeared today along with Indians Chair & CEO Paul Dolan and several current and former Indians players at a Play Ball event at a Boys And Girls Club of Cleveland, continuing the league’s program to promote youth participation in baseball. A similar event is slated for Saturday in Chicago during weekend World Series games at Wrigley Field.
