In their latest showcase of power, MLB decided to postpone the start of spring training.
The exhibition games were scheduled to begin on February 26, but time was running out and players weren’t going to be ready for that date.
As of Friday afternoon, MLB and the Players Association weren’t remotely close to a deal.
The decision, however, was unilateral.
That’s what the union clarified through a statement.
They criticized the league’s choice of words: MLB said it “must” postpone the start of spring training, which according to the union, is false.
Statement from the MLB Players Association: “MLB announced today that it ‘must’ postpone the start of spring training games. This is false.” pic.twitter.com/Pg2s3oiehu
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) February 18, 2022
Then, the MLBPA reminded the owners who is behind all this mess: “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.”
The owners wanted to put some pressure on the MLBPA, and decided to implement the lockout to prevent any form of communication between teams and players.
Players Remain “Committed” To Negotiations
The union says that, despite the latest decision by owners, they remain “committed” to the negotiation process, which is expected to pick up the pace on Monday.
Jeff Passan of ESPN said that next week, there will be several meetings, perhaps every day, to see if both sides can finally find some common ground.
It sounds easier said than done, though, especially given the huge differences between the two sides.
The league established (also unilaterally) that February 28 is their deadline before the start of the regular season officially being in danger.
Fans have no choice but to sit tight and wait until next week: there will surely be some news to report, starting on Monday.
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