Major League Baseball announced Tuesday that it was canceling Opening Day and the first two series of the 2022 season due to the ongoing lockout, with players and owners unable to come to a deal on a new labor agreement before the league-imposed deadline.
MLB and the players union’s collective bargaining agreement expired after the 2021 season and the two sides disagree on core economic issuesranging from minimum salaries to arbitration eligibility to how many teams will make the playoffs.
When will the lockout end? There’s no immediate end in sight.
The two sides have blamed the other for the current situation. MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark said “today is a sad day. We came to Florida to navigate and negotiate for a fair collective bargaining agreement. … The reason we are not playing is simple: a lockout is the ultimate economic weapon. “
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred shifted the blame to the players.
“Throughout the five-year period there was a lot of rhetoric with dissatisfaction with the deal that they made,” said Manfred. “A lot of rhetoric was negative with respect to the clubs, the commissioner’s office, me. That environment, someone else created. It’s an environment in which it’s tough to build bridges.”
So, where does baseball go from here? Here is what we know:
What is the MLB lockout about?
Perhaps the biggest sticking point is the league’s Competitive Balance Tax, which levies ends on teams whose payrolls exceed a pre-determined figure. That number was $210 million in 2021, with only the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres paying the tax.
Players argue that the luxury tax serves as a soft salary cap, thereby stifling wages and discouraging teams from spending money to be competitive.
The players asked the CBT to be $238 million in 2022, increasing to $263 million by the end of the five-year CBA. The owners’ final offer before Tuesday’s deadline had the 2022 threshold at $220 million – and staying there for three years – ultimately rising to $230 million by 2026.
When is Opening Day going to be?
The regular season was set to begin on March 31 and that day’s games – along with the first two series of the year – were canceled by the league on Tuesday.
April 7 will be the earliest possible date for an “Opening Day” should a deal be reached in the near future, but that could get pushed back as negotiations drag on.
How much money will the players, owners forfeit?
for gamers, the cost is clear: Each earns 1/186th of his base salary each day
Max Scherzer and Gerrit Cole, both members of the union’s eight-man executive subcommittee, would forfeit the most. Scherzer would lose $232,975 for each regular-season day lost and Cole $193,548.
Based on last year’s base salaries that totaled just over $3.8 billion, major league players would combine to lose $20.5 million for each day wiped off the 186-day regular-season schedule.
However, chief union negotiator Bruce Meyer said Tuesday he expects players will be paid for missed games, and figures to include that in ongoing CBA bargaining.
When will the owners and players meet next?
Manfred said the two sides could meet again as soon as Thursday.
What happens to the remaining free agents on the market?
The lockout stopped all business including trades and free-agent signings. There are currently 100’s of remaining free agents, including shortstop Carlos Correa, first baseman Freddie Freeman and shortstop Trevor Story remaining on the market. Before the lockout began, teams committed $1.7 billion to free agents in a flurry of signings.
Are spring training camps open now?
Yes, but for minor league players only and those not on the 40-man roster. Pitchers and catchers for some teams were to report to preseason camps on Feb. 15, with full squads beginning a week later. But with the lockout, MLB players are not allowed on the premises.
This has created a bit of a purgatory situation for some minor league players who have never reached the majors, but are on 40-man rosters
Is minor league baseball affected by the lockout?
No, the minor league season will begin as scheduled in April. Players who are not on a 40-man roster or signed to a big-league deal reported to spring training in February. Minor leaguers are not part of the MLB Players Association.
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism