The MLB lockout is finally over.
On Thursday afternoon, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players’ Association reached a tentative deal on a new collective bargaining agreement, thus ending a 99-day lockout — the second-longest work stoppage in league history.
The deal must still be ratified by both parties, but it is merely a formality with owners expected to ratify the vote by 6 p.m. Thursday and free agency beginning immediately after.
While the lockout began on Dec. 2, the two sides did not ramp up negotiations until February and things became contentious over the last few weeks, with talks extending late into the night and early hours of the morning.
After failing to reach deals last week and as recently as Wednesday, the league announced it would cancel games through the first two weeks until April 14.
However, that does not appear as if it will be a necessity.
While Opening Day was originally slated to start on March 31, it will now begin on April 7 and a 162-game season will indeed be played with other games being rescheduled. Spring training games will begin March 18.
General managers will convene Thursday night to discuss logistics of the next steps, but players are expected to report to spring training in three days.
The regular season will also be extended three days with nine-inning doubleheaders to make up for the delay.
Arguably the central issues was the competitive balance tax, which rises 9% from last year to $230 million for the 2022 season, per Audacy’s Jon Heyman.
The CBT will rise annually to $233M, $237M, $241M and $244M, per MLB Network's Mark Feinsand.
Among some of the other reported details of the new deal include:
• Minimum salary for players with less than three years of service will increase from $570,500 to $700,000 which will grow to $780,000 by the end of the CBA
• Bonus pool worth $50 million to be distributed among those players who have yet to reach arbitration.
• 12-team postseason
• 45-day window to implement changes such as a pitch clock, ban on shifts and larger bases for the 2023 season.
• NL will adopt the DH
• Six-team draft lottery to curb tanking
• Advertisements on player uniforms
• Draft-pick inducements to discourage service-time manipulation
• Limiting the number of times a player can be optioned to the minors.
Story will be updated. Check back for more.
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