MLB officially announces delay in spring training games. Where things stand
Spring training games have officially been delayed.
MLB announced Friday that Grapefruit League and Cactus League games, originally set to start Feb. 26, have been postponed, with the first games taking place “no earlier than Saturday, March 5th.”
That is, of course, if a collective bargaining agreement is in place by that time.
MLB and the MLB Players Association are still negotiating terms of the new CBA. The efforts have dragged out enough to impact spring training, with pitchers and catchers originally set to report to training sites earlier this week and full-squad workouts originally set for Monday.
But with the league locking out MLB players until a deal is agreed upon, that hasn’t happened.
With that, Opening Day, set for March 31, is looking like it could be in jeopardy as well.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said last week that teams ideally will need a minimum of four weeks of spring training to prepare for the season and said he anticipates spring training camps could open within a few days of the CBA being agreed upon. That would point to a deal needing to be done by the end of February for the regular season to proceed without delays.
A regular-season delay that results in missed games, Manfred said, would be “a disastrous outcome for this industry.”
MLB said in a statement the league and players association will meet in person on Monday “and remain every day next week to negotiate and work hard towards starting the season on time.”
“We are committed to reaching an agreement that is fair to each side,” MLB said in a statement.
Fans who purchased tickets for Miami Marlins spring training games at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium should visit the stadium’s website for information about refunds.
This story was originally published February 18, 2022 at 2:42 PM.
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