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Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Spring training start 'in grave danger' with MLB, MLBPA still not close on agreement

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 2/1/22

In an update becoming all too familiar to nervous baseball fans, it appears there remains no end in sight to the ongoing MLB lockout that threatens the start of spring training and, perhaps, regular-season games due to begin March 31.

A week after stories surfaced MLB and the MLB Players Association were still "far apart" on a deal, USA Today's Bob Nightengale and others explained the two sides met again on Tuesday with players set to report for spring training on Feb. 16.

The #MLB and #MLBPA negotiating session lasts about 1 1/2 hours today, their first in a week discussing economic issues. Spring training is scheduled to start on Feb. 16.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 1, 2022

As The Athletic's Evan Drellich tweeted, the latest negotiating session was "heated" and, in the grand scheme of things, brought the baseball community no closer to the start of preseason activities than was the case during the morning hours.

Today’s 90-minute meeting between MLB, MLBPA was heated. Some owners and players participated. The MLBPA made moves in two areas: service-time manipulation, and pre-arb bonus pool (dropped request from $105 million to $100 million). TBD when next core economics meeting will be.
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) February 1, 2022

On service-time manipulation proposal as well: The MLBPA also newly incorporated (and modified) an element of MLB’s service-time manipulation: potentially rewarding a draft pick to a team
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) February 1, 2022

ESPN's Jeff Passan added the idea of spring training starting on time two weeks down the road is now "in grave danger" and that it would be a "miraculous" event if the owners and players put pen to paper on an agreement anytime soon.

The meeting between the Major League Baseball Players Association and MLB is over. Little progress was made. The on-time opening of spring training at this point is in grave danger and, frankly, would take a miraculous deal coming together to rescue. A delay feels inevitable.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 1, 2022

There was slight movement in the union's proposals involving the bonus pool and service time, but the two sides remain are far apart. The differences in the minimum salary ($775,000 to $615,000) and luxury tax ($245 million to $214 million) remain unchanged.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 1, 2022

The unofficial deadline of Tuesday for spring training to start on time is, clearly, going to come and go without an agreement between the parties. Nightengale and others have said regular-season schedules will likely be impacted if no deal is made by or shortly after March 1, which is now a mere four weeks away.

For a piece published Monday, ESPN's Jesse Rogers wrote Opening Day could still occur on time if the sides come to terms so camps can open on March 3 at the latest. While there's still hope, things appear grim as it pertains to fans being inside MLB ballparks on the final day of March.

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