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In a move that shouldn’t surprise anyone that read J. P. Hill‘s article from Wednesday morning, the current Collective Bargaining Agreement has expired and Major League Baseball has instituted a lockout, ending 26 years of labor peace.
Breaking: MLB owners vote unanimously to institute a lockout. It is expected to begin tomorrow but unclear what time.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 2, 2021
Major League Baseball has officially implemented a lockout, sources tell ESPN. The ninth work stoppage in the sport’s history has begun.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 2, 2021
You might have noticed that things already look a little different over at mlb.com. That would be because during a situation like this teams are not allowed to use player likeness for advertisements or merchandise. Signings and trades are also halted.
Lockout strangeness has already begun. The MLB dot com site has been completely wiped out of any references to current players. This includes photos. Teams are also not permitted to use current player names in advertisements for ticket sales, merchandise, etc.
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) December 2, 2021
They removed the headshots from https://t.co/UfApTwx13P rosters. pic.twitter.com/x43zle6tLK
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) December 2, 2021
They've already taken down pretty much every story about an active player.https://t.co/ank1Uxa4Ry
— Jack Baer (@JFordBaer) December 2, 2021
MLB has implemented the lockout. Player signings and trades (and negotiations) are halted, CBA talks come to the forefront. A lot of work to do,
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 2, 2021
The main sticking points in these negotiations are not anything new. Players want more shares of revenue and shorter service time to reach arbitration. The owners… do not want to give that up.
A very sophisticated breakdown, I know. In my defense it is 1 AM. I will just let the executive Director of the players association Tony Clark do the talking:
Tony Clark statement: “This drastic & unnecessary measure will not affect the Players’ resolve to reach a fair contract. We remain committed to negotiating a new CBA that enhances competition, improves the product for our fans, & advances the rights & benefits of our membership"
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) December 2, 2021
Statement from the Major League Baseball Players Association: pic.twitter.com/34uIGf762W
— MLBPA Communications (@MLBPA_News) December 2, 2021
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred also released a statement:
Read a letter from the Commissioner: https://t.co/P4gRGSlfsu pic.twitter.com/zI40uGLTni
— MLB (@MLB) December 2, 2021
in the meantime nearly all Major League Baseball activities will come to a stop. This is shaping up to be a long winter.