MLB Lockout Watch: Spring Training Officially Delayed, More CBA Meetings Next Week

With spring training now officially delayed, MLB and the Players Association are set to embark on a critical round of negotiations in order to salvage Opening Day.

Author:
Chris Halicke
Feb 18, 2022 3:34 PM EST

What was already common knowledge has now been made official by Major League Baseball: Spring training will not start on time.

The league released an official statement Friday about the delay, along with an update on the status of negotiations with the MLB Players Association toward a new collective bargaining agreement.

"We regret that, without a collective bargaining agreement in place, we must postpone the start of Spring Training games until no earlier than Saturday, March 5th. All 30 Clubs are unified in their strong desire to bring players back to the field and fans back to the stands. The Clubs have adopted a uniform policy that provides an option for full refunds for fans who have purchased tickets from the Clubs to any Spring Training games that are not taking place. We are committed to reaching an agreement that is fair to each side. On Monday, members of the owners' bargaining committee will join an in-person meeting with the Players Association and remain every day next week to negotiate and work hard towards starting the season on time."

According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner, Boston Red Sox owner John Henry, Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort and San Diego Padres vice chairman Ron Fowler are expected to be in attendance for next week's negotiations.

The MLBPA responded to MLB's decision to postpone spring training games:

"MLB announced today that it 'must' postpone the start of spring training games. This is false. Nothing requires the league to delay the start of spring training, much like nothing required the league's decision to implement the lockout in the first place. Despite these decisions by the league, Players remain committed to the negotiating process."

Pitchers and catchers were supposed to report to camps this past Tuesday and the initial slate of spring games were scheduled to begin Feb. 26. The delay imposed by MLB cuts seven games out of the Texas Rangers' Cactus League schedule. In its previous CBA proposal, MLB told the MLBPA a new agreement must be in place by Feb. 28 in order to salvage Opening Day on March 31.

"If I hadn't given consideration to what it would mean to miss games, I wouldn't be doing my job," said MLB commissioner Rob Manfred on Feb. 10. "Obviously, I pay attention to that. I see missing games as a disastrous outcome for this industry, and we're committed to making an agreement in an effort to avoid that."

To this point, CBA negotiations have moved at a glacial pace with minimal progress. Meanwhile, tensions have risen throughout the process. The league requested federal mediation, however the union exercised its right to reject it. The most recent bargaining session between the two sides took place Thursday and lasted only 15 minutes.

MLB and the MLBPA still have much ground to cover on several issues in the game's core economics, including the Competitive Balance Tax, salary arbitration, the minimum salary and how much money should go into the new concept of a bonus pool for pre-arbitration players.

The owner-imposed lockout is now in its 79th day, which is the second-longest work stoppage in the history of baseball. Only the 1994-95 players' strike lasted longer—a staggering 232 days.

Promo image: Kelly Gavin / Courtesy of the Texas Rangers