On Thursday, Major League Baseball labor talks to end the lockout resumed for the first time in nearly two months, the league announced, but little progress was visible during a one-hour bargaining session, jeopardizing a timely start to spring training.
After the five-year collective bargaining agreement expired on December 2, 2021, MLB declared a lockout just hours after talks broke down.
After a 42-day hiatus, discussions on core economic issues resumed on Thursday, January 13, with MLB making proposals it hoped would at least start to generate momentum.
Following MLB’s offer, the two sides convened. The players’ union then informed MLB that it would respond but did not give a deadline, MLB reported.
The opposing sides met just five weeks before the scheduled start of spring training workouts on February 16. The chances for a timely start of camp are dwindling, given the amount of time it will take for players to travel to Florida and Arizona, where the preseason takes place, and then go through COVID-19 protocols before taking the field.
A deal would have to be reached by late February or early March to allow enough time for training before the current opening day of the regular season on March 31.
Among MLB teams and fans, perhaps none are more excited to see the start of the season than the Texas Rangers and their faithful. In 2021, the Rangers, 60-102, lost over 100 games for the first time since 1973.
This off-season, however, the Rangers made national headlines with the signing of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien as free agents. ESPN’s Jeff Passan says, “(The Rangers) have the best middle infield in baseball as they start their rebuild.”
As for the current MLB lockout, 2022 marks the first time since 1990 that a season has been in jeopardy. That year, the season ended without a World Series, and fans were unable to follow San Diego Padre Tony Gwynn as he chased a .400 batting average. That year Ken Griffey Jr. lost out on a chance to beat Hank Aaron’s single-season home run record (later broken by Barry Bonds).