The 2022 MLB regular season will not include a normal 162-game schedule.
The league is currently in a lockout as it tries to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with the MLB Players' Association. It's the ninth work stoppage in league history and the fifth to result in regular season games being canceled.
Despite talks between the two sides Tuesday, the league announced that the start of the upcoming regular season will be delayed. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said the first two series of the season are officially canceled.
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SIGN UP HERE The league had a self-imposed 5 p.m. ET deadline Tuesday, and if no deal was agreed to before that time, the season was not going to begin as scheduled.
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The regular season was originally going to commence March 31 with all 30 teams playing on Opening Day.
This outcome is obviously bad for all parties, including the fans. The Boston Red Sox, who are coming off a tremendous 2021 season that ended with an American League Championship Series defeat, were scheduled to open the season against the rival Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Boston's second series was against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Each of the Red Sox' first two series were three games.
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If no more games are canceled, the Red Sox would open in New York versus the rival Yankees on April 7.
Many of the issues the two sides are debating unsurprisingly involve money, including minimum salaries, the competitive balance threshold (CBT) and the pre-arbitration bonus pool. The format of the postseason, specifically how many teams qualify, has also been an issue.