Washington DC - Labor Secretary Marty Walsh has offered to mediate between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) as contract negotiations between the two sides remain stalled.

"I have spoken to both the MLBPA and MLB about the ongoing contract negotiations and encourage both sides to continue engagement," Walsh told CBS.

"Like any contract negotiations in any industry, I stand ready to help facilitate productive conversations that result in the best outcome for workers and employers," the former Boston mayor added.

Walsh's offer comes as players have been on lockout since December – the first MLB work stoppage since 1995.

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MLB owners and the players' union have not been able to reach an agreement after their 2016 contract ended.

Players rejected the MLB's suggestion to bring in a federal mediator last week, arguing that their union is already in a position to mediate for them and that the MLB has not done enough during the negotiation process.

Owners reportedly want to make the playoffs longer and allow for more advertising on team uniforms.

Players, on the other hand, say they won't accept the changes unless owners agree to their terms.

According to Mets pitcher Max Scherzer, players "want a system where threshold and penalties don’t function as caps, allows younger players to realize more of their market value, makes service time manipulation a thing of the past, and eliminate tanking as a winning strategy."

Currently, players say the pay system allows owners to bring in younger athletes in their prime, rely heavily on them while they are at lower salaries, and then replace them before their pay is scheduled to jump.

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Athletes have also called out the practice of purposefully losing in order to get better draft picks the following season – another way for owners to make more money.

Pitchers and catchers are supposed to report to spring training camps on February 14, and the season is set to start on March 31.

For now, there seems to be no clear end to the work stoppage in sight.