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.

What to watch: The sides must determine whether the offseason calendar can be negotiated separately from MLB's cap-and-floor framework.