Much like all MLB teams, the Colorado Rockies are looking at the tea leaves coming from the MLB and the MLB Players Association in regard to a potential lockout.

It's looking more and more like the word "potential" is going to be dropped.

On Tuesday, MLB owners offered a new proposal at solving the Collective Bargaining Agreement issues between both sides. That proposal was out there for about an hour before the MLB Players Association came back and responded:

The bottom line? There's a stalemate.

This does not help the Rockies or the other MLB teams who are working to prepare rosters and outlooks before next season. The bigger question, which has been floating around for some time, is when will the 2027 MLB season start? 

So, here's a look at what the owners are proposing as of Tuesday, Nov. 3.

"With free agency already underway, and recognizing that Clubs will need a full offseason to operate within the cap and floor system, MLB is proposing to phase in the salary cap and floor in 2028," according to the statement released by MLB on their X account.

"The projected cap and floor payrolls for 2028 would make 12 clubs increase payroll by $636M to reach the floor, and 8 clubs to decrease payroll $528M to reach the cap. Overall, this would net a $108M payroll increase," the statement continued. "Starting in 2028 would allow a smoother transition into the cap and floor system without delaying key player benefits".

Did you take note of what the owners want here? They want this to start in 2028, not next season. Do you think the MLB Players Association likes this offer? No way.

Per a post from MLBPA's account on X, they are not buying what the owners are putting down.

"Coming off another incredible season of baseball, MLB owners continue to propose blowing up the current system and replacing it with one designed to line their pockets and increase their franchise values," according to the MLBPA statement.

MLBPA pointed out in its statement some of the negative impacts that the owners' proposal puts forth. Among them are a massive reduction in player compensation; elimination of player fundamental rights, including guaranteed contracts; gutting of domestic and international amateur entry systems; and replacement of market-place fundamentals with a zero-sum system that harms middle class and pits player against player.

This type of situation just puts the Rockies behind in moving forward a whole lot. The ballclub can spend time looking at video, analyzing their current roster, and make a few decisions on what they want to do regarding the roster.

Yet meaningful time in Spring Training is in jeopardy right now. There are no signs, not even a positive smoke signal, in these responses. Owners are not going to budge and don't expect the MLBPA to do it right now, either.

Colorado has made a move to bring in Ethan Katz as the team's new pitching coach. That starts to solve a big-time problem because the Rockies' pitching staff was not good last season. It might be a stretch to call them awful or atrocious.

There's no doubt that the numbers must improve. What about the batting order? It can be addressed by putting catcher Hunter Goodman in a position to have a big RBI and another home run season surrounded by players who get on base.

That's baseball talk, the type of stuff fans love. Players and managers do, too.

All eyes must turn toward the ongoing CBA battle and hope things get solved sooner and not much, much later.