Given the acrimony that has surrounded the MLB lockout, the exasperation showed last Tuesday could’ve been the precursor to many days without further talks.
Instead, the sides are back at it. And for all the distance that might exist between the owners and MLBPA, the fact that there’s any dialogue at all is a plus.
That was the point made by Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ, the team’s union rep, during his podcast “The Compound.”
“It’s really crazy to me that just a week ago, all of that excitement was swirling because it feels like a month. But a lot of that, as I think we all know by now, was kind of orchestrated as a tactic to get the fans excited about the possibility of a deal,” Happ said. “We were never really that close, the numbers were off, there was still a lot to take care of. We’re still not that close, but there’s been meetings that have been happening, there have been talks, which is positive. Continuing to talk is positive.
“There were talks that were progressing (last week), we were just never really that close. That extension day, the best and final from the league, was basically not even a move from the proposal that they had before. …
“But conversations are continuing. I think we can all remain hopeful, right?”
The two sides are scheduled to meet again Tuesday. That meeting could represent the last day for a deal to be made that would still allow a full 162-game season to be played.
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