Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Union have tentatively come to agreement to play baseball, according to ESPN reporter Jeff Passan.
“BREAKING: Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have reached a tentative agreement on a new labor deal, sources tell ESPN,” Passan posted to Twitter. “While it still needs to be ratified by both parties, that is expected to be a formality, and when it is: Baseball is back.”
BREAKING: Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have reached a tentative agreement on a new labor deal, sources tell ESPN. While it still needs to be ratified by both parties, that is expected to be a formality, and when it is:
Baseball is back.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 10, 2022
Passan also reported that players can begin reporting to Spring Training on Friday, March 11, with Opening Day expected to be scheduled for April 7.
MLB owners locked out the players on December 1, 2021, after the expiration of Major League Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA), resulting in the first work stoppage since the 1994-1995 season.
On March 1, the two sides were unable to come to an agreement on a new CBA by MLB’s deadline, with the result being the cancellation of regular season baseball games.
“The calendar dictates that we are not going to be able to play the first two series of regular season games and those games are officially canceled,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a press conference. “We are prepared to continue negotiations. We have been informed that the MLBPA is headed back to New York meaning that no agreement is possible until at least Thursday. Currently, camps could not meaningfully operate until at least March 8th, leaving only 23 days before scheduled Opening Day.”
Baseball is expected to play a full 162-game schedule.
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].