As the clock struck midnight Thursday, the MLB’s first lockout in a quarter century officially took hold. Many expected this after the latest round of talks between the league and the players union broke off after only 7 minutes of dialogue earlier this week.
The lockout now puts a freeze on any free agent negotiations as well, as teams are currently prohibited to speak to any players. In a prepared statement commissioner Rob Manfred wrote “Despite the league’s best efforts to make a deal with the Players Association, we were unable to extend our 26 year-long history of labor peace and come to an agreement with the MLBPA before the current CBA expired…Therefore, we have been forced to commence a lockout of Major League players, effective at 12:01am ET on December 2.”
As is often the case in these situations, both sides are putting the blame for the lockout squarely on the other. In a response to the league’s prepared statement, the MLBPA countered with a statement of their own saying “It was the owners’ choice, plain and simple, specifically calculated to pressure Players into relinquishing rights and benefits, and abandoning good faith bargaining proposals that will benefit not just Players, but the game and industry as a whole…These tactics are not new. We have been here before, and Players have risen to the occasion time and again — guided by a solidarity that has been forged over generations. We will do so again here…We remain determined to return to the field under the terms of a negotiated collective bargaining agreement that is fair to all parties, and provides fans with the best version of the game we all love.”
The main sticking point between the players and owners revolves around salary structure and playoff formats. The league would like to see the playoffs expand to 12 or even 14 teams, while keeping player salaries relatively flat in the early parts of their careers. The players point towards the growing revenue in the game and want their piece of the pie earlier into their careers than the current free agent/salary structure allows.
Both the players and owners hope to resolve the matter over the course of the winter so that the 2022 season isn’t impacted. However the divide between the two parties was something many sports pundits flagged as early as two years ago, with little progress made towards bridging the gap since.
Opening Day for the 2022 season is currently scheduled for March 30th 2022, with plans to have all 30 teams in action.