Giveback demands in MLB bargaining lead to work stoppages

By RONALD BLUM
AP Baseball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — When baseball players agreed a decade ago to restraints on signing bonuses for draft picks, then union head Michael Weiner said matters could be revisted if the provisions didn’t work to players’ satisfaction. Getting a side to give back something it gained previously in collective bargaining can lead to difficult negotiations, which is why Major League Baseball has its first work stoppage in 26 years. Free agency has been the central issue for a half-century and the luxury taxes for three decades. Salary arbitration has been another issue, and teams in recent agreements gained cost controls on amateur spending.