MLB Rumors: Insider Says CBA Talks as Bad as Ever, Predicts 2.5 Months of 'Pain'

It might be a long offseason for Major League Baseball and its players.

With the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire on Dec. 1, the league and the players association will have to negotiate a new one prior to the 2022 campaign if the season is going to happen on time. 

However, Jon Heyman of MLB Network cited a management source who said the negotiations are "as bad as I've ever seen it." The source also predicts "two-and-a-half months of pain" are ahead.

The last work stoppage for MLB happened in 1994 with a strike that prevented the World Series.

There were a number of contested negotiations surrounding the shortened 2020 campaign because of COVID-19, including the length of the season, whether players would receive prorated salaries, and health and safety protocols.

A work stoppage may be in store this time around, though. Ronald Blum of the Associated Press reported the league's ninth work stoppage "appears almost certain to start on Dec. 2" when the current system in place expires.

The looming reality will surely impact the free-agent market this offseason as notable players such as Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Freddie Freeman, Max Scherzer, Marcus Semien and Kris Bryant hit the open market.

From the teams' perspective, they may be more hesitant to grant pricey contracts without fully knowing what a potential luxury-tax threshold will be in 2022. From the players' perspective, having something like a payroll floor may encourage more teams to bid for players and drive up contract offers.

Blum noted the teams have proposed a lower luxury threshold and a payroll floor, although players have traditionally been against floors because they believe it will be a slippery slope toward an eventual salary cap.

Teams also proposed for the luxury-tax threshold to be lowered from $210 million to $180 million. Yet the players association pointed out that the average major league salary for 2021 is projected to be $3.9 million, which is lower than the $4.1 million figure in 2017.

It appears as if both sides remain quite far apart, which means the league's top free agents may be waiting for some time until they know where they will be taking the field in 2022.