Reese Kaplan -- Holiday Goodwill Hiding the Fan Hostility over CBA

With the holiday season soon drawing to a close the uncharacteristically quiet fan base will be making their voices heard vociferously once the reality of nothing being done about the lockout becomes front page news.  To date there has been virtually no communication between the sides.  With Spring Training slated to begin in February and lots of player movement in limbo as a result of the work situation, fans, owners and players all want some action to start to happen.

There are too many issues on the table to think it will be resolved in just a single meeting or two, yet if you don't meet at all then the likelihood of a highly compressed preseason or a shortened regular season looms with greater probability of occurring.  I'm not here to side up with the players nor with the owners.  I'm just anticipating that the lack of coverage on the lockout is going to get pushed to the top of most sports sites.

Now for Mets fans it's been less of a front-of-mind topic than has the shaping of the front office.  This past week with the formal introduction of Buck Showalter as the new manager grabbing all of the copy, it meant fans and media types were full of optimism (and glad to have something to write about).  No one is suggesting that Showalter was a bad choice at all and it's unusual for paying customers and baseball professionals to agree so uniformly on anything.  

Right now when you talk to fans there is more conversation about the influence Showalter will have, who he will identify as a coaching staff and how he will motivate the often lackluster team that existed in 2021.  We've all engaged in friendly (and heated) debates on these issues and it's possible until the new coaching staff is actually announced that it will serve as filler for reporters and bloggers in place of the contractual situation.

Even there, the prospect of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is more about the question of bringing the DH to the National League than it is about the schedule changes, the free agency and service times proposals, nor any of the other many topics which require some type of compromise to get passed or tabled entirely.  

Yes, we fans will discuss the roster, who should be traded, what free agents should be signed, and who should comprise the regular starting lineup, starting rotation and the bullpen.  Those never-ending arguments are a part of every off-season and regular season.  The difference now, of course, is that they are strictly theoretical since owners are not allowed to negotiate with players until a new CBA is signed.

For now, enjoy the end of the holiday season, the upcoming New Year's Eve celebration and toast the optimism that's been missing from the Mets' collective bloodstreams since 2016.  It's been a very quiet five year period of ineptitude managed by questionable choices in the front office, in the on-the-field management team, and by the former owners.  

Steve Cohen's first year was one of learning what needed to be changed and thus far going into his year two stewardship it appears he's the kind of owner fans have always hoped would come to Queens.  

Solve the labor/ownership issues.  We all want them to play ball.