(CelebrityAccess) — Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have reportedly reached a new collective bargaining agreement, allowing the 2022 season to begin on April 7.
According to MLB.com, the new agreement must still be ratified by both sides, but the signs look good for Spring Training camps to be open on Sunday, bringing an end to three months of lockdowns that threatened to delay the start of the season.
While the MLB had previously announced the season would start on April 14, with each team losing the first four games from their schedule, the new CRB will allow each team to play a full 162-game schedule, with the delayed games being rescheduled as nine-inning doubleheaders.
According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, the new collective bargaining agreement will increase minimum salaries, and add a new pre-arbitration bonus pool that will benefit the top young players in the league. The new deal also shifts competitive balance tax thresholds, and expands the draft lottery and puts a limit on the number of times a player can be optioned in a season to prevent alleged manipulation.
The new agreement also introduces universal designated hitter rules and establishes a 12-team post season.
