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After 99 days, the MLB lockout is just about over. The league and the Players Association reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement Thursday afternoon, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
The deal still has to be agreed upon by 23 of the league’s 30 owners in order for ratification, but that’s a formality at this point.
According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, players can report to spring training as early as Friday, March 11. Spring training games would begin as early as March 17 or March 18, and the regular season’s Opening Day will likely be April 7.
There are still hundreds of free agents who have yet to sign 2022 contracts, but once the new CBA is formally ratified, free agency will restart in earnest. So, get ready for a flood of baseball transactions over the next few days, possibly starting as soon as tonight.
Baseball is back!