MLB, MLBPA reach agreement on new collective bargaining agreement

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association reached an agreement Thursday on a new collective bargaining agreement, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan, ending the league's lockout and clearing the way for the 2022 season to begin.

The labor deal received a 26-12 vote in favor from the MLBPA, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman.

With the CBA now in place, Opening Day is expected to be April 7, per Passan, with spring training set to begin as early as Friday. The end of the work stoppage will also kick off a flurry of player transactions that were frozen during the lockout.

Last week, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred canceled the first two series of the season and announced Wednesday that Opening Day would happen April 14 at the earliest. However, now the season is set to begin a week earlier than Manfred's announced date, and a 162-game schedule is expected.

With a full season coming, the 2022 work stoppage avoided becoming the first MLB season shortened by a labor dispute since 1994.