What happened: Bruce Meyer rejected MLB's proposal to confine most free-agent signings to a December window and resume them in early February. The plan also would bar trades during the intervening period.
Why it matters: The calendar overhaul is contingent on a salary cap and floor, a framework the union opposes. The divide adds another fault line to collective bargaining before the current agreement expires.
By the numbers: MLB also proposed cutting the maximum number of in-season minor-league options from five to four and allowing 14 pitchers on 26-man rosters through Aug. 31.
What to watch: The sides must determine whether the offseason calendar can be negotiated separately from MLB's cap-and-floor framework.