NEW YORK — The entire MLB offseason has been shrouded in uncertainty, and even though Friday’s news can’t be classified as good news, it at least provides a concrete date.
The league announced on Friday that spring training will be postponed until at least March 5. Spring training games were originally set to begin on Feb. 26, meaning about a week of exhibition games will now officially be postponed or outright canceled.
“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 5th,” the league released in a statement. “All 30 Clubs are unified in their strong desire to bring players back to the field and fans back to the stands.”
The statement also said that each team has adopted a policy to provide fans with the option of a full refund for games that are not taking place. According to the statement, the league and Players Association are engaging in an in-person meeting on Monday, Feb. 21 and will “remain every day next week to negotiate and work towards starting the season on time.”
Players ripped the decision.
“MLB announced today that it ‘must’ postpone the start of spring training games,” the players’ union said in a statement. “This is false. Nothing requires the league to delay the start of spring training, much like nothing required the league’s decision to implement the lockout in the first place. Despite these decisions by the league, Players remain committed to the negotiating process.”
Per internal correspondence obtained by journalist Bradford William Davis, the league submitted a 130-page document as its most recent proposal that included “increased pay significantly for younger players.”
“We have tried to find common ground with the MLBPA,” read the internal message. “We have made numerous attempts to create momentum in the process suggesting a variety of creative proposals directly addressing the union’s stated concerns.”
The Mets and Yankees both had games scheduled for every day from Feb. 26 to March 4. As things stand right now, the Mets have a game at their facility in Port St. Lucie, Fla., against the Nationals on March 5. The Yankees are slated for a split-squad doubleheader with the Cardinals and Pirates.
