|
The 2022 season was scheduled to begin with Opening Day on March
31.
"The calendar dictates that we're not going to be able to play
the first two series of the regular season and those games are
officially cancelled," Manfred told a news conference.
Service time toward free agency, playoff expansion, luxury tax
and a salary floor are among the key issues in the current
dispute, which led the league to lock out the players in
December.
"The clubs and our owners fully understand just how important it
is to our millions of fans that we get the game on the field as
soon as possible," Manfred said.
"To that end, we want to bargain and we want an agreement with
the Players' Association as quickly as possible."
Players Association executive director Tony Clark said it was a
sad day for the players, fans and the game and called the
lockout the "ultimate economic weapon" to use against the
players.
"In a $10 billion industry, the owners have made a conscious
decision to use this weapon against the greatest asset they
have: the players," Clark told a news conference.
"But the group won't be intimidated. I've seen more unity over
the last few years than any time in our recent history," he
said, adding that the group was committed to the bargaining
process and getting back on the field as soon as possible.
The union has said that throughout the talks it has sought to
promote competition, provide fair compensation to young players
and uphold the integrity of the market system for talent.
A handful of players criticised Manfred and the owners on social
media after he spoke.
TALKS BREAK DOWN
The breakdown in negotiations toward a new collective bargaining
agreement came after the sides met for more than 16 hours on
Monday and again on Tuesday in Jupiter, Florida in an effort to
avoid the first missed games due to a labor dispute since the
players' strike of 1994-1995.
That work stoppage forced a premature end to one season, delayed
the start of the next year's campaign and turned off fans, with
attendances plummeting when play finally resumed.
MLB had previously said it would cancel games if a deal was not
met by the end of the day on Monday, but the league said enough
progress was made that it decided to push the deadline back to
Tuesday.
The players union unanimously rejected MLB's last offer just
before the deadline expired.
The cancelled games will not be made up and the players will not
be paid, Manfred said.
"We're prepared to continue negotiations," he said.
"We've been informed that the MLBPA is headed back to New York,
meaning that no agreement is possible until at least Thursday.
As such, camps could not meaningfully operate until at least
March 8, leaving only 23 days before the scheduled Opening Day."
The league has said a month of spring training is needed to
protect the health and safety of players.
(Additional reporting by Amy Tennery in New York and Frank
Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Chris Reese and Toby Davis)
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
|
