MLB pushes Opening Day back to April 14

Play ball? Not until mid-April at the earliest.

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With Major League Baseball and the players’ union still at an impasse since a lockout began on Dec. 2, Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that Opening Day will be postponed until at least April 14.

“Regrettably, after our second late-night bargaining session in a week, we remain without a deal,” Manfred said in a statement.

Ninety-three more games were canceled, raising the total to 184 games erased from the 2,430-game season, according to The Associated Press.

Manfred said that because of “the logistical realities of the calendar,” an additional two series are being postponed.

This is the 97th day of the lockout, ESPN reported.

Negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA focused on the potential for an international draft, sources close to ownership told ESPN.

The union opposes the draft, while the owners want to implement it. The owners believe the issue is connected to the elimination of draft-pick compensation for free agents who leave their old teams, ESPN reported.

The MLB proposal would include potentially reopening the collective bargaining agreement if the international draft is not agreed to, The Athletic reported. The deadline for the players to make a decision would be Nov. 15, 2022, according to the owners’ proposal.

If players reject the draft, which would begin in 2024, MLB could reopen the CBA that year, according to the website.

Earlier Wednesday, a league official told ESPN that the negotiations are at “a major structural roadblock” because of the international draft.

Players dropped their threshold for the luxury tax to $232 million in 2022, with increases to $235 million in 2023, $240 million in 2024 and $245 million in 2025 and $250 million in 2026, according to the AP.

Players lowered their proposed bonus pool to $65 million for pre-arbitration-eligible players, a $15 million reduction. The owners raised its offer from $30 million to $40 million, according to the AP.

The union also dropped its proposed minimum salary to $710,000, down from $725,000 and rising to $780,000 by 2026, The owners have proposed $700,000 this year, rising to $770,000 by 2026.

“I am saddened by this situation’s continued impact on our game and all those who are a part of it, including our loyal fans,” Manfred said in his statement.

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