NEW YORK -- Negotiators for baseball players and owners are meeting this week in Irving, Texas, in an attempt to reach agreement on a collective bargaining agreement to replace the five-year contract that expires Thursday. After eight work stoppages from 1972-95, baseball has had 21 years of labor peace.Some of the issues in negotiations:FREE AGENCY COMPENSATIONCompensation for the loss of free agents has been an issue since the free-agent era began in 1976. The statistical ranking system established in the 1981 strike settlement was scrapped in the current agreement that began with the 2012-13 offseason and replaced by qualifying offers: A team would be entitled to draft-pick compensation if a player left as a free agent after failing to accept a one-year contract for the average salary among the 125 highest-paid players ($17.2 million this year) and the signing club would lose a top pick. Five of 64 free agents who received qualifying offers accepted during the current agreement, and some less-than-premier free agents who received offers said their market was limited by teams not wanting to give up draft selections.INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR DRAFTCommissioner Rob Manfred has said restraints on contracts for international amateur players have not been as effective as management had hoped, and he is a proponent of an international draft that would cover residents outside the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The union has been resistant.CURRENT AMATEUR DRAFTTeams spent $234 million in the 2011 draft on amateurs residing in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The total dropped to $209 million in the first year of restraints, went up to $220 million the following year, then rose to $224 million in 2014, $249 million in 2015 and $268 million this year. The sides are negotiating the slot figures used to determine signing bonus pools and the penalties for exceeding pools. Some have expressed concern that the slot values early in the first round encourage a team not headed to the postseason to tank in the final weeks to get higher draft picks and a larger signing bonus pool.LUXURY TAXOne of the last items in the negotiations will be the luxury tax. The threshold for the tax has been $189 million for the past three years, and for the past four years, the rate has been 17.5 percent for the first time over the threshold, increasing to 30 percent for the second time in a row, 40 percent for the third and 50 percent for the fourth or subsequent. An increase to $200 million or more is likely, which should lead to greater spending by high-revenue teams currently at or above the threshold. The union and some teams would like the rate to reset for all teams in 2017.ROSTER SIZEThe sides have discussed an increase from 25 active to 26 from opening day through Aug. 31. In an effort to keep late-season rules closer to the ones used for most of the season, the active limit would decrease from 40 to 28 or 29 from Sept. 1 through the end of regular season.DRUG AGREEMENT AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCEManagement proposed changes that would make rules stricter in both the joint drug agreement of 2014 and the domestic violence agreement of 2015.SCHEDULE RULESConcerned about players getting run down, the sides discussed a possible extension of the season from 183 days to 187 days. That appears unlikely, but there probably will be more restrictions on the scheduling of night games on getaway days.PACE OF PLAYManagement would like to have pitch clocks, which have been used at Triple-A and Double-A for the past two seasons, and restrictions on trips to the mound. Players generally have resisted any changes to the natural flow of the game.MINIMUM SALARYExpect a rise in the minimum salary, which was $507,500 in the major leagues last season and $82,700 for a minor league player on a 40-man big league roster for at least a second season and $41,400 for a first.REVENUE SHARINGThe sides have discussed changes to the revenue-sharing rules, which included a market disqualification test that prevented both teams from New York, Los Angeles and Chicago from receiving any revenue-sharing money in 2016, along with Atlanta, Boston, Houston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Texas, Toronto and Washington.SALARY ARBITRATIONUnder the current agreement, the top 22 percent of players by service time of those with two or more years of major league service and less than three are eligible for arbitration, along with players with at least three years but less than six. Change in eligibility has not gotten much attention.SMOKELESS TOBACCOManagement has discussed a ban on the use of smokeless tobacco during games. The union has resisted, maintaining that using smokeless tobacco is legal and a matter of individual choice, but in the 2012-16 agreement the union did agree that players may not carry tobacco packages and tins in their back pockets when fans are permitted in the ballpark, and players may not use tobacco during pregame or postgame interviews, and at team functions. Tyler Anderson Jersey . -- Matt Rupert scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the London Knights extended their win streak to nine games by defeating the Owen Sound Attack 4-3 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Chris Rusin Jersey . -- Charline Labonte couldnt have asked for a better homecoming. http://www.rockiesgearproshop.com/Rockies-Ryan-Mcmahon-Kids-Jersey/ .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. Chris Iannetta Jersey . Spiller left Week 3s 27-20 loss to the New York Jets with a thigh injury, but fully practiced with the team all week and expects to be ready to go on Sunday. DJ LeMahieu Jersey . 8 Iowa State on Saturday, sending the Cyclones to their third consecutive loss. The Longhorns (14-4, 3-2) got their biggest win of the season with their third in the row in the Big 12. Meet Will Mackey, a freshman South Carolina student that loves his Gamecocks.Why are we talking about Mackey? In South Carolinas upset win over the Tennessee Volunteers, Mackey knew, as a fan, he had to join his fellow students in rushing the field for this incredible victory. There was only one problem -- the student section did not rush the field.In Mackeys epic video, we see no fans behind him. However, we do get to see his run-in with backup quarterback?Perry Orth, who is as excited as he is.Naturally, his enthusiastic video went viral. It received over 4,000 retweets and over 8,000 likes on Twitter. According to Campus Rush, Gamecock players Elliott Fry, Deebo Samuel and Terry Googer reached out to Mackey commending him for the video.For them to care this much about some student who made a dumb decision says a lot about the people on our football team, Mackey told Campus Rush. Theyve mmade my life just by saying hey.ddddddddddddBecause of his spontaneous decision, Mackey received a ban for the remainder of home games this season. But, it appears, that was merely a challenge for Mackey. The Missouri game came around, and where was Mackey??In the stadium, outfitted in a mustache and sunglasses, of course.I grew up loving South Carolina and I never thought Id be a big name at South Carolina. This has been beyond my best dream, Mackey told Campus Rush.With one more home game on the schedule against Western Carolina, we have to assume Mackey is scheming up his next disguise. Whether he shaves his head, dyes his hair or comes up with some elaborate plan, we can only hope we get a photo or video half as entertaining as these two.-- Courtney Schellin Cheap Soccer Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Hockey Jerseys Nike NFL Jerseys China Cheap Nike MLB Jerseys China Wholesale Baseball Jerseys China Wholesale College Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China Wholesale Jerseys Near Me Cheap Jerseys Online Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap NCAA Jerseys Authentic Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic MLB Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Throwback Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China ' ' '