Baseball Is Back: MLB Lockout Ends After MLBPA, Owners Reach Agreement
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Baseball is back!
Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association agreed to a new bargaining agreement Thursday.
According to CBS Sports' Jim Bowden, the owner-imposed lockout will be lifted and the offseason will be allowed to resume.
"I am genuinely thrilled to be able to say that Major League Baseball is back and we're going to play 162 games," said MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred.
"I do want to start by apologizing to our fans," he continued. "I know that the last few months have been difficult. There was a lot of uncertainty at a point in time where there's a lot of uncertainty in the world."
Opening day is scheduled for April 7. Teams will play a full 162-game season and players will be paid in full, according to CBSLA's Jim Hill.
Players can start to report to training camp as early as Friday, March 11, with Spring Training games expected to start roughly one week from Thursday.
The lockout began on Dec. 2 when the previous CBA expired. The new deal includes a 12-team expanded playoff and the expansion of the universal designated hitter.
It also includes an increased minimum salary, a boost in the competitive balance tax threshold and a new committee to involve players in the process of changing rules.
