With spring training right around the corner (five days, but who’s counting?), the pressure is on for MLB and the MLBPA to agree on a new bargaining agreement to end the lockout. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred met with owners this week in Florida, while the players and lead MLBPA negotiators met in Arizona to coordinate ahead of Saturday’s scheduled bargaining session.
Manfred held a press conference on Thursday, which many anticipated would involve a delay to spring training. Not so, apparently. Thus we can still cling to a sliver of hope that there will be actual baseball happening in a few weeks.