As of 5pm Tuesday, March 1, 2022, Major League Baseball has reached the deadline for owners and the Players Association to reach an agreement before games are canceled. The MLB lockout imposed by the owners on December 1, 2021, remains in effect three months later. The Players Association rejected MLB’s final offer after the owners didn’t come close to meeting their numbers. The owners refused to meet the players’ demand for the competitive balance tax, which was the major issue. The players union decided to leave the negotiating table and head to their New York offices.
MLB Lockout Fault of Owners, NOT Players
Now listen, the MLB lockout could have ended a lot sooner. The owners could have met with the players before the final week of February. The cancellation of games could have been avoided. While there were some concessions made by the owners, the two sides couldn’t agree on the major issues. The owners had plenty of time to sit down with the players – they just chose not to. Rob Manfred and the MLB owners have some major stones to blame the players for the cancellation of games when it was THEIR lockout.
MLB is Failing Their Young Stars, but Owners Feel it More
Rob Manfred thinks he’s hitting the players where it hurts; however, it’s the owners who will feel the pinch of losing millions in revenue every game. Yeah, the players will feel the sting a little bit, and the fans will be unable to cheer the abilities of the younger stars like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani, and Fernando Tatis Jr. But it is the owners who will feel the biggest pinch, and Manfred and the owners fail to see this.
The Fans Have Options, Stupid
Since Minor League Baseball isn’t affected by the MLB lockout, those stadiums should thrive at the beginning of the season. Fans will still be able to get their baseball fix if they have a minor league team in their area. Fans will be able to see top prospects like Adley Rutschman and Marco Luciano (sorry Mariners fans, no Julio Rodriguez, as he’s on the 40-man roster). Just like during the pandemic in 2020, baseball fans will have options without Major League Baseball games. Hell, the fans can watch Nippon League (Japan) or Korean Baseball Organization baseball and get their fix.
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