Play Ball! Lockout Ends as M.L.B. and Union Strike a Deal
After a long series of deadlines, threats and delays, a tentative agreement was reached and a full 162-game season should begin on April 7

On the 99th day of a contentious lockout, Major League Baseball and the players’ union reached a tentative labor agreement for the 2022 season on Thursday. Once in doubt, a full 162-game regular season will be played.

Originally scheduled for March 31, opening day would be moved to April 7.

After an exhausting three days of negotiations, the sides agreed in principle on a five-year collective bargaining agreement, ending the second-longest work stoppage in league history.

The union’s executive committee voted 26 to 12 in favor of approving. The deal is pending club owner ratification, which means 23 of the 30 owners will have to vote yes.

Spring training, which is normally six weeks and was originally scheduled to begin in mid-February, will open this weekend.

Great news.

Maybe there is a God.

Best part of this is the NL finally adopting the DH.

Woo-hoooooooooo!!!!!!

I like most of the changes except for the expanded postseason, feel like we're gonna be at 16 teams within a decade

Posted by fatguyrd on 3/10/2022 5:02:00 PM (view original):

The basic agreement governs almost all aspects of the game, but baseball’s core economics were front and center in the labor talks. In addition to the CBT move, the minimum salary governing players with less than three years of major league service will jump from $570,500 to $700,000, growing to $780,000, and a bonus pool worth $50 million will be distributed among those younger players who have yet to reach salary arbitration.

MLB had pushed for expanding the postseason to 12 teams — a plan to which the MLBPA agreed. Additionally, player uniforms will feature advertising for the first time, with patches on jerseys and decals on batting helmets.

Other elements of the deal include:

• A 45-day window for MLB to implement rules changes — among them a pitch clock, ban on shifts and larger bases in the 2023 season

• The National League adopting the designated hitter

• A draft lottery implemented with the intent of discouraging tanking

• Draft-pick inducements to discourage service-time manipulation

• Limiting the number of times a player can be optioned to the minor leagues in one season

2 – I’ve been informed that Roman Quinn has injured his hamstring already

Come on. No one tanks.

player uniforms will feature advertising for the first time

Oh man, I'm really looking forward to this!

I’m probably in the minority here, but I despise that the DH is universal now. Yes, I enjoy pitchers hitting. I enjoy the strategy behind actually having to manage a lineup.

but thank god there will be baseball soon

the better move would have been to remove the DH entirely

I've always been neutral to the DH. I like the increased strategy of not having it but I also like having older players who can still hit but are limited defensively being able to extend their careers because of it. A better solution would have been a compromise for both leagues. No DH until you lift your starting pitcher. He is replaced in the lineup with a pinch hitter who then becomes your DH who can then bat in that spot for the rest of the game.

Being a NLer I never liked the DH. As time went by I saw the disadvantage the NL had in inter league play. I’m in favor of one set of rules either way.

i am an AL guy

my love for Edgar is, um, dirty extant

one o the great things about baseball is, or was, you can do it at the plate or you can do it in the field but if you cain do both you have to be really really good at one or the other

the DH kinda ruined that concept