Major League Baseball has been at a standstill as the league implemented a lockout on December 2, 2021. A lockout is when the league’s team owners lock out the players because of a labor dispute known as a collective bargaining agreement. Now, there may be questions why Major League Baseball (MLB) cannot play under the expired CBA. The answer is that the MLB can go on as scheduled, but there would be a risk of a strike by the players. A strike is when employees who are the players refuse to play. So, instead of risking a strike during the season, Major League Baseball felt that a lockout would be the best route to take.

Spring Training has been delayed until March 5, 2022, a week later than the original start date for exhibition games. A new CBA must be agreed upon by February 28, 2022, to start on time for the 2022 regular season. Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) meet in Jupiter, Florida, at Roger Dean Stadium, the spring training home of the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals.

Monday, February 21, the meeting between the MLB and the MLBPA lasted five hours, but according to multiple reports, the players union was underwhelmed. There was no new revised competitive bargaining tax (CBT) which is the main sticking point between the MLB and the MLBPA. Instead, according to Evan Drellich of The Athletic, MLB raised its pre-arbitration bonus pool from $5 million to $20 million. The players union is proposing $115 million, which leaves a $95 million gap. MLB also proposed to allow for the first four draft picks to be determined by the lottery, which is one more pick from their previous proposal, but the players union has proposed the first eight draft picks.

Drellich of The Athletic, has also reported that Major League Baseball withdrew its proposal asking the players union to allow MLB control and reduce the minor league roster size while also withdrawing its proposal limiting the number of times a player can be optioned to five. Still, the MLB does not have a proposed limit as of right now.

The clock continues to tick, but there is still time for a deal to be struck. The next meeting between the MLB and MLBPA is scheduled for Tuesday, February 22, at 1:00 pm.