Major League Baseball postpones spring training games amid lockout
Major League Baseball has postponed its first week of spring training as owners and the players' union continue to battle over a labor agreement, CBS Sports reports.
In December, owners initiated a lockout that halted the league's baseball activities while negotiations were underway. Almost two months later, the unresolved battle could impact the 2022 season.
"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," the league said in a statement obtained by CBS Sports. "All 30 Clubs are unified in their strong desire to bring players back to the field and fans back to the stands."
The league said the clubs have adopted a uniform policy that will refund fans who purchased tickets to games that now will not take place.
The players' union criticized the decision in a Friday statement, disputing the notion that the league was forced to postpone the games.
"MLB announced today that it 'must' postpone the start of spring training games," the union said in a statement obtained by CBS Sports. "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."
If the players' association and owners are unable to come to an agreement, the lockout and postponed spring training could decrease the amount of games each team can play.
The owners' bargaining committee is set to have an in-person meeting the with players' association on Monday to continue negotiations, one of several meetings that will take place every day next week, the league said.
