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MLBPA frustrated by owners' silence: 'You can't negotiate against yourself'

Douglas P. DeFelice / Getty Images Sport / Getty

As the MLB lockout nears its second month, players have been left frustrated by the owners' apparent silence as the sides try to reach a deal.

There have been virtually no negotiations since owners left the table after seven minutes on Dec. 1, the day before the lockout began. The lack of communication is a mystery to players like New York Yankees reliever Zack Britton, who's part of the MLBPA's player subcommittee and sits at the negotiating table.

"You can't negotiate against yourself - nobody would do that in the business world, right, if you're negotiating something," Britton told Jomboy Media's Chris Rose during an appearance on the "Chris Rose Rotation" podcast alongside fellow players Marcus Semien and Lucas Giolito.

"So I think the more communication that we have - I think that's the path to a deal, right? And you can't control what the other side does or chooses not to do.

"So we're prepared. ... We were available Christmas Day to negotiate. We know how important this is."

Added Semien, the Texas Rangers infielder who sits alongside Britton on the MLBPA subcommittee: "The league did not have to lock us out. We could have continued to negotiate during this time, actually, regardless of the (Dec. 2) deadline or not. And we asked them to do that, and obviously, the lockout happened."

Owners elected to lock out players moments after the previous collective bargaining agreement expired. During the lockout, all transactions involving players are halted, and teams can't communicate with players in any form. All league business could have continued as normal under the old CBA until a new one was in place had MLB not locked out players.

Players tabled several economic proposals at the early December meetings, including changes to free agency and proposals to increase competitiveness and end service-time manipulation. Owners rejected them and did not make a counteroffer before leaving the table.

Britton, Giolito, and Semien all stressed that players are confident the two sides will reach a deal without disruption to the 2022 season. But with spring training set to begin in mid-February, Semien characterized January as "a huge month" for negotiations.

Giolito - the Chicago White Sox union representative - said players aren't sure when owners will rejoin them at the table.

"We're ready to negotiate, (but) we're not gonna negotiate against ourselves," he said. "It takes two to tango."

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