Report: Angels, Tigers, Reds, D-Backs owners opposed CBT increase
A group of four owners opposed Major League Baseball's final offer to the players' association on Tuesday before commissioner Rob Manfred canceled the first two series of the 2022 season, according to SNY's Andy Martino.
Arte Moreno of the Los Angeles Angels, Chris Ilitch of the Detroit Tigers, Ken Kendrick of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Bob Castellini of the Cincinnati Reds voted against raising the first luxury-tax threshold to $220 million, sources told Evan Drellich of The Athletic.
None of the four teams exceeded the threshold in 2021 or qualified for the postseason. The Tigers and Angels last reached the playoffs in 2014, both getting swept in the ALDS. The Reds have two postseason appearances in the last nine years, failing to win a game. The D-Backs reached the playoffs once in the last decade.
| Team | 2021 payroll | MLB rank |
|---|---|---|
| Angels | $199M | 8th |
| Reds | $144.2M | 17th |
| D-Backs | $109.4M | 21st |
| Tigers | $103.9M | 23rd |
The MLBPA maintains it won't accept a first threshold below $230 million.
The owners remain hesitant to yield on CBT thresholds partially because relenting on a 14-team playoff format in favor of a 12-team format represents a significant compromise toward the players, Martino adds.
The two sides held an informal meeting on Thursday in New York City. It's the first contact between the parties since a nine-day run of talks in Florida failed to produce an agreement, resulting in the cancelation of regular-season games.
MLB and the union reportedly discussed all core issues, but the tone remained the same as before, and the meeting ended without a breakthrough.