Baltimore Orioles: MLB could remove loss of draft pick in new CBA

A Major League Baseball lockout is possible. However, Major League Baseball is working with the union with hopes of negotiating a new CBA.

Major League Baseball is working diligently with the players union over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. However, both sides have yet to come to an understanding and it is possible there could be a Major League Baseball lockout.

One thing MLB has suggested is removing the draft pick which is associated with the qualifying offer.

The qualifying offer occurs when a player entering free agency is offered a one-year contract at a set price; in 2016, the qualifying offer was $17.2 Million. The player has until after the World Series to either accept or decline the offer. Should a player decline the offer, they are entered into the free agent market with the qualifying offer attached. If a rival team signs the player who was offered the one-year deal, the player’s new team is forced to hand over a draft pick to the player’s former team.

If Major League Baseball decides to remove the draft pick, it could make MLB free agency the “freest free agency in sports”, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.

Players dislike the qualifying offer because the draft pick attachment lowers their market value. Players like Neil Walker, Jeremy Hellickson and Brett Anderson recently accepted the qualifying offer, which offers less long-term security than being on the market.

There are other things that both the league and Major League Baseball have to resolve, one of them being the luxury tax threshold. The league is aiming for it to climb from $189 Million to $200 Million. However, both sides have not discussed a final number.

If the deal doesn’t get done, it is possible there could be a league lockout. However, many are optimistic that the deal can get done before the 2017 season.