What had increasingly become inevitable was made official this week camps failed to open, causing the start of 2022 Spring Training to be delayed due to the ongoing MLB lockout.
Spring Training games aren’t due to begin until Saturday, Feb. 26 — with the Los Angeles Dodgers opening their Cactus League schedule against the Chicago Cubs. Those presumably could still be held as planned if a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is quickly put into place.
Of course, pace of the negotiations throughout the offseason suggests that’s an unlikely outcome. Tension between MLB and the Players Association (MLBPA) has continued to mount, with their latest disagreement over potential involvement from a federal mediator.
MLB’s request to have a representative from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service was rejected by the union.
“Two months after implementing their lockout, and just two days after committing to Players that a counterproposal would be made, the owners refused to make a counter, and instead requested mediation,” MLBPA said in a statement at the time.
“After consultation with our Executive Board, and taking into account a variety of factors, we have declined this request. The clearest path to a fair and timely agreement is to get back to the table. Players stand ready to negotiate.”
MLB used mediators during the players’ strikes in 1981 and 1994. The second instance did not lead to a resolution and ultimately saw the World Series canceled. A federal mediator was successful with the 2013 NHL lockout and MLS strike in 2015.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred indicated last week the league was poised to deliver a “good-faith” CBA proposal to the union. However, their 130-page counteroffer was poorly received and effectively served as the final guarantee that Spring Training would not start on time.
Manfred previously remarked it would likely take four or five days for camps to open after a new CBA is agreed to and ratified by both parties. He also believes a one-month Spring Training would be sufficient time for players to prepare for the 2022 regular season.
MLB warned of deadline for regular season
While losing Spring Training games wouldn’t be a favorable outcome, the bigger concern is with the regular season and Opening Day on March 31.
In addition to presenting their stance on core economics, MLB reportedly informed the MLBPA of a date by which a new CBA has to be in place in order to avoid the start of the regular season getting delayed as well.
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