Y’all, get ready to celebrate!
Major League Baseball, team owners, and the Players Association have agreed to end their labor disputes, and we’ll have a season.
“The commissioner’s office and Major League Baseball Players Association reached the agreement on the 99th day of the owners’ lockout to end the first work stoppage the sport has had in 26 years,” reported Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich at The Athletic.
Some of the issues that factored into the dispute, such as the international amateur system and direct draft pick compensation, haven’t been resolved, but discussions on those will continue into the summer.
Owners and players are still aiming for a full 162-game season with a shortened spring training session. Sources say that opening day will be April 7.
“The new CBA also includes increased luxury tax thresholds, higher minimum salaries and a pre-arbitration bonus pool for the top young players, among other issues,” reported Greg Joyce at the New York Post.
“Once the lockout and freeze on player transactions are officially lifted — Manfred and the owners imposed them on Dec. 2 after the previous CBA expired — there is expected to be a mad rush of signings and trades before players report to spring training,” Joyce also noted.
I can’t wait to hear, “Play Ball!” Now I just need the Braves to go ahead and sign Freddie Freeman.
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