From a practical perspective, given that the devil is in the details and the details are still in flux, I wouldn't trust what either side says about how the opposing proposals affect them. There is no circumstance where the MLBPA was going to say the owner's proposal is fair/good, no matter what it said. Same for the owners in reverse. But solidifying that number - and getting both sides to an agreement of what % of revenue is fair for players to get seems to be the key to unlocking a deal. Owners aren't going to go for a deal that continues the current disparities. And players aren't going to take less money. But if you get this % to a fair one, both sides can then build details around that. edit: even if they do ultimately like a proposal and are closing in on a deal, they are going to be yelling at each other and accusing each other of bad-faith proposals until the very last viable day. We saw something similar in the WNBA just a few months ago.
Agreed. And as I said above (unlike previous work stoppage eras) there is just much for visbility/tranparency now where its hard for either side to flat-out lie and not get fact-checked in real time. Very similar corollaries to how government is currently attempting certain maneuvers, but the public gets wind and communication travels far easier now (still need leakers), and certain claims/ventures/actions are DOA or flat-out denied by some as being attempted before they reach fruition. Also cancel culture now much more of an established premise (whether fair or not), and consensus sides take hold sooner than ever and right now its overwhelmingly on the side of the owners.
The players union is the same greedy mob as the rest of the billionaire class in this country. I don't believe for one second that a cap and floor would hurt overall player revenue, but I do believe it would lower the earning potential of the richest players, which is their primary concern. Team control seasons is the real thing the union should be attacking, but the "pot of gold" strategy has been their only concern for decades now so I'm sure it's still a backseat issue. Ultimately, I am on the owners side if greatly raising the salary floor is part of the deal. The biggest issues in regards to salaries right now are the Dodgers monopolizing stars and the "small market" owners crying poor and refusing to spend. However I am sure there is shady math involved with what owners would consider the floor.
