New York: Major League Baseball canceled a further slate of fixtures on Wednesday after a fresh round of marathon labor talks with players ended in deadlock.
In a statement, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said the 2022 season would not start until April 14 at the earliest after the latest negotiations failed to yield a breakthrough.
“We worked hard to reach an agreement and offered a fair deal with significant improvements for the players and our fans,” Manfred said.
“I am saddened by this situation’s continued impact on our game and all those who are a part of it, especially our loyal fans.”
The 2022 season had been due to get underway on March 31 but has been pushed back after fruitless negotiations to end a lockout of players.
Both sides conducted a 16-hour round of talks in New York on Tuesday which wrapped up in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
A similarly protracted round of late-night talks last week also ended without an agreement, prompting MLB chiefs to cancel the opening round of fixtures of the season — the first time in 27 years regular-season games have been lost to due to a labor dispute.
Players and team owners have been wrangling over the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement since February.
Club owners have locked out players since the previous labor deal expired on December 1, 2021.
In his statement on Wednesday, Manfred said teams had gone to “extraordinary lengths” to meet the demands of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), baseball’s player’s union.
“In a last-ditch effort to preserve a 162-game season, this week we have made good-faith proposals that address the specific concerns voiced by the MLBPA and would have allowed the players to return to the field immediately,” Manfred said.
“The clubs went to extraordinary lengths to meet the substantial demands of the MLBPA. On the key economic issues that have posed obstacles, the clubs proposed ways to bridge gaps to preserve a full schedule.
“Regrettably, after our second late-night bargaining session in a week, we remain without a deal.
“Because of the logistical realities of the calendar, another two series are being removed from the schedule, meaning that Opening Day is postponed until April 14th.
“We have the utmost respect for our players and hope they will ultimately choose to accept the fair agreement they have been offered.”