MLB and the Players Association (MLBPA) failing to reach a deal on a new collecting bargaining agreement (CBA) not only led to the cancelation of Opening Day and regular season games, but also multiple postponements to the start of Spring Training.
The latest came last Friday when MLB announced Cactus League and Grapefruit League games would not be played until Friday, March 18, at the earliest. That now has been cemented with a new CBA being put into place.
For the Los Angeles Dodgers, it still amounted to 20 games being removed from their Spring Training schedule.
The MLB lockout of course had no effect on Minor League Baseball, which has allowed players who aren’t on a 40-man roster to report to Spring Training.
Dodgers director of player development Will Rhymes is among those who have been present at Camelback Ranch for workouts and feels a sense or normalcy with the Minor League portion of Spring Training, per Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“I think on the minor-league side it feels fairly normal,” said Dodgers director of player development Will Rhymes, who estimated 30 to 50 players had been working out at the team’s facility since the start of the new year with that number growing and now swelling to full size with camp entering its second week. Obviously it’s a little different not having the major-league team around and the buzz that creates as well as the opportunities for our younger players to go over and get the experience with the major-league staff. In that way, it’s unfortunate. Last year, having the split camps was pretty similar to this. Maybe (this year is) more normal than ’20 and ’21 – so I guess we’re moving in the right direction.”
Even as MLB players were locked out, Minor League camps are arguably at their most normal state since 2019. The 2020 Minor League Spring Training was interrupted due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the following year’s camps began later than usual due to the season starting in May.
Dodgers prospects on hand at Camelback Ranch this year include Maddux Bruns, Ryan Pepiot, Bobby Miller, Landon Knack and others. Those who are on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster — such as Jacob Amaya and Eddys Leonard — cannot attend until the lockout has been resolved.
Bruns, who was selected by the organization in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft, recently threw live batting practice.
Roberts planned to attend Dodgers Minor League Spring Training
At a time when it was still unclear when a new CBA would be in place to end the lockout, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he planned to attend Minor League Spring Training at Camelback Ranch.
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