MLB owners and players reach tentative labor deal, reports say
The empty Salt River Fields where Spring Training would be taking place at Talking Stick in Phoenix, AZ.
Patrick Breen | USA TODAY Sports
Major League Baseball and the players union have reached a tentative labor deal that would pave the way for spring training games to begin and Opening Day to take place in early April, multiple reports said.
The breakthrough came 99 days into the owner-imposed lockout of players after the sides failed to reach a new collective bargaining agreement.
The season had originally been set to start March 31. Owners canceled the start of the season last week after they couldn’t reach a deal with players by a league-imposed deadline.
Now the season is set to begin April 7, according to reports from various news outlets, including ESPN.
The sports news network reported that players can start to report to spring training as early as Friday.
Wednesday night, MLB owners had said they would cancel more games and push Opening Day until April 14, absent a deal.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
