The Sunday Read: Here's a list of what Texas Rangers must tackle before spring training once new CBA is in place
Free agency and trades are atop the post-lockout to do list, but there's much more to filling out the camp roster.
More optimism was generated last from consecutive days of labor talks, so much so that the Texas Rangers Newsletter started looking in earnest for spring training accommodations.
The owners made a few concessions Tuesday after the players had made one of their own Monday. There are gaps between, for instance, the minimum salary ($615,000 to $775,000), but they seem like a drop in the bucket.
The bigger issues, the luxury tax and tanking, might take some more work, but neither side has drawn a line in the sand on an particular issue. And with more meetings potentially on the agenda this week, it appears that both sides have woken up to the fact that spring training is supposed to start in two weeks.
It also appears that both sides have Feb. 7 as a soft deadline to reach a new collective bargaining agreement. That’s in eight days. Getting across the finish line by then might be a stretch, especially with a weekend involved in the middle of it.
But the sooner the better, especially with so much work left for teams and players to do this offseason. There was a lot of the heavy lifting done in free agency before the lockout, especially by the Rangers, but most free agents didn’t sign.
Baseball is in store for a wild ride.
The Rangers did much of their spring planning before the lockout and have been sorting through various scenarios on what camp might look like depending on how long the lockout lasts.
The Rangers might not be as busy as others after the lockout ends, but they will be busy in several areas.