Though meetings are set to take place daily, MLB has officially postponed the first week of spring training games, with games now slated to begin March 5.
We already knew the start of spring training would be delayed, and it’s official now that the opening of spring training games will be delayed. The delay comes as MLB and the MLB players association negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
“We regret that, without a collective bargaining agreement in place, we must postpone the start of Spring Training games until no earlier than Saturday, March 5,” according to an MLB statement. “All 30 clubs are unified in their strong desire to bring players back to the field and fans back to the stands.
“The clubs have adopted a uniform policy that provides an option for full refunds for fans who have purchased tickets from the clubs to any Spring Training games that are not taking place. We are committed to reaching an agreement that is fair to each side. On Monday, members of the owners’ bargaining committee will join an in-person meeting with the Players Association and remain every day next week to negotiate and work hard toward starting the season on time.”
What this means is a little vague: despite what other outlets are reporting, the MLB statement refers to a postponement of the first week of spring training games. Whether games will be added to the end of spring training still needs to be determined. (We are betting that the first games of spring training will be officially canceled and the regular season will begin on March 31 after a slightly shortened Cactus and Grapefruit League.) Talks will resume and be held on a daily basis beginning Monday.
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