Major League Baseball and umpires try to wrap up agreement on new contract

MLB, umpires try to wrap up new deal

NEW YORK — Negotiators for Major League Baseball and its umpires worked into Tuesday evening to try to reach an agreement on a new contract.

The sides hoped to finalize a deal later Tuesday or on Wednesday. An agreement would have to be ratified by both owners and umpires.

Management has been seeking to gain increased flexibility on postseason assignments as part of the agreement, which could allow umpires to work the World Series in consecutive seasons. Following a series of missed calls during the playoffs, MLB went with an all veteran crew of six umpires in this year’s World Series.

This would mark the second straight agreement between the sides reached without acrimony. Recent deals between baseball and its umpires have run for five years.

In September 1999, 22 umpires lost their jobs as part of a failed mass resignation ahead of bargaining. Half of them were eventually rehired.