MLB cancels more games as owners, players fail to reach deal

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Wednesday that another slate of regular season games has been canceled, pushing opening day back to April 14 at the earliest. The announcement comes as MLB and the players’ union continue negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

“On the key economic issues that have posed stumbling blocks, the Clubs proposed ways to bridge gaps to preserve a full schedule,” Manfred said in a statement Wednesday. “Regrettably, after our second late-night bargaining session in a week, we remain without a deal.”

The Major League Baseball Players Association called the cancelations “completely unnecessary.”

“After making a set of comprehensive proposals to the league earlier this afternoon, and being told substantive responses were forthcoming, Players have yet to hear back,” the union said in a statement Wednesday.

The cancelations have now pushed the 2022 MLB season, which was originally scheduled to begin March 31, back at least two full weeks.

While progress has been made in some areas, a key issue is now the creation of an international draft, CBS Sports reports. The league has been pushing for one while the MLBPA is adamantly opposed.

The owners on December 2, 2021, locked out the players following the expiration of the last CBA. Negotiations on a new contract have been ongoing, but on March 1, Manfred announced the first six games of the season for each team would be canceled. 

After negotiations resumed, the owners initially set a soft deadline for Tuesday before more games would be canceled. That deadline was then pushed back to Wednesday amid a 17-hour-long bargaining session, according to CBS Sports.