It has been five months since MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said he was “a lot closer” to an agreement with the MLBPA to send big leaguers to Dodger Stadium for LA28. But the distance between his Olympic vision and reality hasn’t closed, and judging by the latest reports, the talks have turned messy.

“Potential complications have arisen during negotiations,” reported ESPN’s Jeff Passan, “which involve a complex web of issues that include hotel rooms, tickets, insurance, NIL rights and the mandatory-participation agreement proposed by the league that would place players who run afoul of requirements on the restricted list, without pay or service time, from July 12 to Aug. 3, according to a copy of the league’s proposal obtained by ESPN.

“MLB’s aim at mandating participation … is to ensure a showcase on the world stage includes the game’s biggest stars, from Japan’s Shohei Ohtani to New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge. Beyond balking at compulsory involvement for all players, the MLBPA strongly opposes a deal that would allow placement on the restricted list as well as commissioner Rob Manfred’s ability in the agreement ‘to discipline for just cause’ with ‘a fine and/or unpaid suspension,’ according to the league’s proposal.”

The mandatory participation is the biggest land mine here. Under the league’s proposal, a player who refuses to follow the Olympic rules could land on the restricted list from July 12 to Aug. 3, right in the heart of the pennant race. For a union that fights over every day of service and every dollar tied to it, this reads more like a punishment clause rather than an invitation.

Even the basic logistics have turned into a fight. Passan reported that “LA28 also offered 435 additional hotel rooms on top of the 100 reserved by MLB and another 100 for the Japanese national team.” But all sides are still sorting out how many rooms, which players get what level of housing, and how ticket allotments would work. Per their labor contracts, players are entitled to first-class flights and good accommodations throughout the regular season. But the Olympics might not be able to provide them with similar accommodations.

At the World Baseball Classic, MLB and the union bear the highest costs since they have the largest stakes. WBSC, Nippon Professional Baseball, and the Korea Baseball Organization – minority shareholders – also chip in proportionately. While they figure out how they will handle this for the Olympics, NIL rights and insurance fall under the same “complex web of issues” that Passan points to. In the meantime, the stars do seem excited to bring home the gold.

“It’s such a great opportunity for all athletes to come together in all different walks of life, all different cultures. I love it,” Philadelphia Phillies right fielder and first baseman Bryce Harper said. “I think it’d be great. I hope it works out.”

If it doesn’t work out, it won’t be because Harper and his peers were afraid of the stage. The friction is really much higher up the food chain. MLB is trying to lock in a guaranteed star package – Ohtani, Judge, Harper, and more – with a mandatory-participation rule and the threat of the restricted list in case you want to back out. But the MLBPA is pushing back, determined to protect its players, turning this situation into a CBA-style tug-of-war.

Rob Manfred keeps talking about the “unique marketing opportunity for the game” the Olympics provide. But every new detail that leaks – the mandate, the restricted list window, the unresolved insurance and travel piece – makes the Olympic dream feel out of reach. Until the league and the union can agree on what they’re actually asking players to sign up for, that dream stays stuck in the gray area between idea and reality.