As of Jan. 3, there weren’t any negotiating sessions scheduled between MLB and the MLBPA, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
The two sides met in December after the lockout began, but The Athletic reported that core economics of the new CBA would likely not be discussed until January.
Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to spring training in mid-February, and spring training games are scheduled to start in late-February.
Complicating matters further is that well over 100 players are still free agents, meaning a deal at the last second would send them scrambling to find new teams.
In order for the regular season to start on time, a deal would likely have to be reached no later than the third week of February.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].