Baseball is ready to return after months of negotiations between MLB and the Players Association to come up with a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
Players voted 26-12 in favor of the owners’ latest offer, enough to make the return of our favorite sport official.
Not everyone was fully on board with the last offer, as it becomes evident by seeing the vote, but the majority spoke, fortunately for fans.
Spring training is imminent, and the season will have 162 games.
The world, obviously, reacted positively to the good news.
OFICIAL: A MLB ESTÁ DE VOLTA!!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
⚾️❤️⚾️⚾️❤️⚾️❤️⚾️❤️⚾️❤️
pic.twitter.com/lTqOgszHah— Beisebol Mundo Afora 🌍 (@beisebolmafora) March 10, 2022
In case you missed the context, that means “MLB is back!”
Of course, we will now get to enjoy the second version of free agency, and it will be complete MADNESS.
Now comes baseball’s version of running of bulls. Simultatenously: camps open, 300 free agents still looking for jobs, 150-ish arbitration cases, Rule 5 Draft, updating all rehabbing players not allowed to talk to teams, getting foreign players visas and into country.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) March 10, 2022
Fans Will Finally Enjoy The Game They Love With No Restrictions
Fans are the ones who deserved this glorious Thursday the most: for months, they had to endure threats by the league that the season wouldn’t be played in full, and they had to wait to see their favorite stars reporting to spring training and playing the first exhibition games.
They had to see how MLB failed to negotiate in good faith for weeks, even months.
But this needs to be said: although they didn’t quite meet the players’ full demands, they were finally serious and respectful in the last few days, and it was reflected in their offers (except for that ugly episode regarding the international draft).
This is the only both-sides thing I'll say about the past handful of weeks/months:
To @MLB – thank you for finally making some fair concessions
To @MLBPA – thank you for standing your ground and protecting the game
— Ted (@tlschwerz) March 10, 2022
Players, on the other hand, can finally breathe knowing that they will play 162 games and get their payment in full, with no deductions for missed games.
WE ARE BACKKKKKKKKK
— Chris Bassitt (@C_Bass419) March 10, 2022
They can finally say they will get back to the field soon: very soon.
NEXT: The MLB Lockout Is Officially Over
