(NEW YORK) — Baseball fans will have to go yet another week without watching their favorite teams take the field.
After two days at the negotiating table, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association failed to reach a new collective bargaining agreement.
As a result, the league announced on Wednesday that it was scrapping a second week of games, pushing Opening Day until April 14. In total, each team will be missing out on the first four series of the regular season.
The biggest obstacle during the latest round of talks appeared to be on a proposed international draft.
“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,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “The Clubs went to extraordinary lengths to meet the substantial demands of the MLBPA. On the key economic issues that have posed stumbling blocks, 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,” Manfred continued. “We worked hard to reach an agreement and offered a fair deal with significant improvements for the players and our fans. 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.”
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