JUPITER, Fla. – Time-wise, the four hours MLB and MLBPA spent meeting on Monday marked a high point since the owners locked out the players in early December.
The result, however, was the same-old, same-old: The players, according to a source, thought it was a positive that the frank and candid talks were held but content-wise, they were again unimpressed with the owners’ proposals.
They will meet again on Tuesday, and likely the rest of the week right up and possibly through the MLB-imposed Feb. 28 deadline for reaching a new cutoff date or having to delay the start of the regular season.
The union does not necessarily agree that a deal needs to be reached by Feb. 28 in order to start the season on time, but the sides agreed to spend this week in the most intensive of a bargaining session setting to date. Initially the meetings were to be in New York City, but the players asked the owners for a detour to Florida since so many of them live here, plus training for the upcoming season would be interrupted by a week-long trip to Manhattan.
When the sides resume their negotiations at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, the expectation is that it will be the union’s turn to present new proposals.
The owners moved towards the players on two fronts, upping bonus pool money for pre-arbitration players from $15 to $20 million, but sticking with a 30-player pool.
The players want 150 players in that pool, and they want the pool amount to be $115 million.
On the competitive integrity front as it relates to changing to an NBA-style lottery system for the top amateur draft picks, MLB increased the number of picks in the lottery from three to four; the players want eight.
The owners did not present new proposals on minimum salaries and the competitive balance tax thresholds, two areas the players are keen to make substantial progress in and two areas where they remain far apart from the owners.
On the CBT front, the players want the amounts increased substantially while the owners so far have made more incremental moves while simultaneously significantly increasing the tax penalties teams would have to pay.
An MLB spokesperson characterized the meetings Monday as wide-ranging and productive, and that the league looked forward to more meetings on Tuesday and also stressed that it is in Florida to get a deal done.
Representing the league were the usual lead negotiators plus two owners on the labor committee, Dick Monfort of the Rockies and Ron Fowler of the Padres.
Ten players, including Max Scherzer, Francisco Lindor, and Whit Merrifield, joined MLBPA executive director Tony Clark and the MLBPA negotiators.
The source said multiple players spoke with the opposing side in the meetings.
The day began inside the Cardinals’ spring training clubhouse inside Roger Dean Stadium, which they share with the Miami Marlins. The owners presented two proposals to the union, then each side caucused, with the players adding a Zoom session for out-of-town players.
The sport is in its first work stoppage in 26 years.
When the previous five-year CBA expired at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 1, the owners waited one minute before implementing a lockout, a strategic labor maneuver that froze the offseason in place and has kept the players from using all MLB facilities as they prepare for the 2022 season.
When the sides met last week in New York, the meeting lasted just 15 minutes, the shortest meeting since the lockout began but not as short as the 7½ minute meeting on Dec. 1 in Dallas.
The owners could opt to lift the lockout at any point before, on or after Feb. 28.
Michael Silverman can be reached at michael.silverman@globe.com.