‘Hallelujah! Play Ball!’ Players, clubs and fans rejoice end of 99-day MLB lockout
MLB has ended its 99-day lockout and is expected to start the 2022 season April 7.
The league and MLB Players Association came to a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement Thursday afternoon.
The CBA is expected to be ratified by both sides Thursday evening.
That will pave the way for spring training camps to open on Sunday, with players allowed to arrive as soon as Friday morning.
Players, clubs and fans celebrated the news on social media, including Texas Rangers Hall of Famer Pudge Rodriguez who posted “Yes!” on Twitter after the news broke.
“I missed you Rangers fans,” Rangers catcher Jose Trevino posted on Twitter. “See you soon!”
The Rangers players on their 40-man MLB roster must report to their spring training complex in Surprise, Ariz., by Sunday. Minor league players, who are no party to the MLBPA, have been in camp for several weeks.
MLB owners had postponed the season until at least April 14 on Wednesday. But Thursday’s deal includes a full 162-game schedule, which means the rescheduled games will be squeezed in with doubleheaders and a regular season extended by three days.
The Rangers have a scheduled off day on the expected season-opening day April 7, according to MLB’s original schedule. Their season opener would be April 8 at Toronto. The home opener at Globe Life Field would be against the Colorado Rockies on April 11.
The new five-year agreement includes increased minimum salaries by $20,000 to $700,000, a new pre-arbitration bonus pool to reward the top young players, a raise in competitive balance tax thresholds, the introduction of a universal designated hitter, the widest-ranging Draft lottery in pro sports, a system to prevent alleged service-time manipulation, limits on the number of times a player can be optioned in a season and a 12-team postseason, according to MLB.com.
This story was originally published March 10, 2022 at 3:32 PM.
