Some in baseball are getting a little antsy as we approach the week two mark of the MLB lockout. The player movement has stopped, and the offseason for the sport has come to a halt. However, it's not even technically mid-December yet so there's still plenty of time for the league and union to reach an agreement and save the 2022 season. But that's not where we seem to be heading as no one will budge.
On that note, Jerry Hairston, Jr., a former Dodgers utility player, and current SportsNet LA analyst, appeared frustrated with the state of negotiations as the two sides show no signs of urgency, refuse further talks, and delay much of the inevitability.
Fortunately, right now we’re entering mid-December, so it’s really not affecting a whole lot of things and I know fans are not worried right now. If you talk to some players or talk to some owners as well, they’re not worried until we start to reach February — like February 14th-15th, that’s when pitchers and catchers report — and then March. That’s when they start to get it to the table and that’s frustrating for me as a fan … why can’t they get both parties at the table now, resolve the issues and not wait, because you know it’s coming. They’re gonna wait til the last hour to say, ‘you know what, let’s meet and see what happens, see if we can get this thing done.’
His frustration is understandable. What's the hold-up? They're gonna have to work it out sooner or later, why not sooner?
Related: Dodgers Players are Locked Out, What Comes Next? | Blue Heaven Podcast
As of now, the biggest event that the lockout has had an impact on has been the winter meetings, which were scheduled to take place in Orlando, Florida, on December 6-9. Usually, these are meetings where the groundwork for future trades is made and where players, representatives, and clubs, who may not normally have such open access, can meet in person. When a new agreement is reached and signings return they will be somewhat haphazard and disadvantaged as clubs scramble to fill positions while free agents face increasing pressure to find a job.
At this rate of negotiations, spring training schedules will certainly be affected. If discussions resume before 2021 ends, then there's still hope for a full and unrestricted 2022 baseball year. But, realistically, it's not likely.
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