The new baseball season started the first week of April and players are excited to play ball. But baseball had a rough start back in December. Before getting to the logistics, we need to understand that Major League Baseball (MLB) had a lockout and its players are under a collective labor agreement. 

The MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is a collective labor agreement that creates MLB rules. These rules include revenue, players’ salaries, and terms and conditions of payment. MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association signed a previous CBA on Dec. 14, 2016, which lasted for five years. In 2021, it expired and sparked an MLB lockout. 

What is a lockout?

A lockout is implemented by the management of MLB. During a lockout, the owners of MLB freeze all transactions involving major league clubs and even prevent team employees from communicating with players. For instance, Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara resigned from the Los Angeles Angels during the lockout so that he can keep communicating with Ohtani, but was immediately hired back as his translator. 

Since the 2021-22 lockout was during the offseason, a lot of unsigned players were not able to get signed contracts, meaning they weren’t able to start playing and be recognized as players.

The 2021-22 season has been the longest recorded lockout, lasting for 99 days. The management of MLB prevents employees from working and getting paid and could use the lockout against the players to extend a player’s contract. 

Extending a player’s contract could have negative impacts on the player’s ability to reach free agency. The player must have six years of Major League service time and this lockout has threatened players’ contracts because it means that it would take them longer to sign with any teams. 

Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty has four years and six days left until he becomes a free agent, but the lockout could push his free-agent contract back by a year.  

Since the 2021-22 lockout was during the offseason, a lot of unsigned players were not able to get signed contracts, meaning they weren’t able to start playing and be recognized as players. It also harmed injured players, who were not able to seek medical treatment from team doctors. New York Yankees starting pitcher Jameson Taillon expressed on Twitter, “Since MLB chose to lock us out, I’m not able to work with our amazing team Physical Therapists who have been leading my post surgery care/progression.” 

How did the 2021-22 lockout happen?

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred wanted to create leverage in the negotiation with the players’ CBA. The lockout was intended to speed up this negotiation so that the MLB owners expand the playoffs. Teams earn 100 percent of TV revenue during the postseason, and this change would increase the airtime, bringing in more money from the media. On the other hand, players only earn a portion of the money collected at the gate in ticket sales, which is less than the TV revenue. 

In return, the owners advocated that every team would have a designated hitter and offered a reduction to a 154 game season. However, the owners also wanted to keep the CBA the way it was the previous season because it would be profitable for owners. Extending the playoff season may sound great at first glance, but players had concerns that expanding the season would enable teams to invest less in player growth and earn more money from the TV revenue. 

The players had different goals. The players wanted provisions in place to prevent new players from getting taken advantage of in their contracts so that new players wouldn’t be prevented from making their debut because of their compensation. The players’ union also advocated for new players to get paid in proportion to their talent, instead of forcing them to wait for payday. 

Players argued that teams should have the freedom to invest in players and their teams to get better and should not be penalized for it.

Players also advocated for free agency for players 29.5 years or older if they have achieved five years of service, or all players if they have achieved six years of service. In response, the owners wanted to keep the status quo. The CBA was created to prevent any teams from exceeding the predetermined payroll threshold, and they have to pay a certain percentage of tax rates. If a team goes over the CBA threshold for the first time, they’ll have to pay a 20% tax. If a team does this for three straight years, it’s a 50% luxury tax. In response, players argued that teams should have the freedom to invest in players and their teams to get better and should not be penalized for it. 

Nine-time MLB All-Star Mike Trout spoke up on Twitter regarding the lockout. He expressed his love for the sport but stood his ground, advocating for the right to a CBA. 

“Instead of negotiating a fair deal- Rob canceled games. Players stand together. For our game,” he stated in his post. Trout, like many other players, had strong responses to the lockout. 

Result of the New Collective Bargaining Agreement

On March 10, the owners and MLB Players Association reached an agreement on the new CBA. In the new agreement, playoffs are expanded, and if a tie were to occur between two teams, a formula to break down those ties will be used. There are also universal designated hitters, and the salary increased from $700,000 to $780,000, and it will increase by $20,000 per season through 2026. This year, the minimum salary is $700,000. In regard to the competitive balance tax, the tax rate will stay the same, but there is a new payroll threshold. 

The 2022 Season

And now that the 2022 season has just begun on April 7, with a two-way star like Ohtani and Trout back in the league, fans can look forward to seeing these athletes back on the field together. 

And on Friday, April 8, the New York Yankees debuted with their opening game and beat the Boston Red Sox with a score of 6-5. Recently, the Yankees defeated the Cleveland Guardians with a score of 4-1 and are currently standing second in the AL East.