First week of spring games canceled

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball canceled the first week of spring training games through March 4 in the first public acknowledgement of the disruption caused by the lockout.

The announcement Friday came with the work stoppage in its 79th day, and a day after talks on economics between management and the Major League Baseball Players Association lasted just 15 minutes.

Negotiators are set to resume bargaining on core economics on Monday in Jupiter, Fla., and MLB said members of the owners’ negotiating committee will attend the session, just the seventh on the central issues of the dispute since the lockout began Dec. 2.

Spring training was to have started this week, and the exhibition schedule on Feb. 26. There were 16 games set for that day, including the World Series champion Atlanta Braves playing Boston in Florida and the renamed Cleveland Guardians taking on Cincinnati in Arizona.

“We regret that, without a collective bargaining agreement in place, we must postpone the start of spring training games until no earlier than Saturday, March 5,” MLB said in a statement. “All 30 clubs are unified in their strong desire to bring players back to the field and fans back to the stands.”

MLB told the union it thinks Feb. 28 is the last possible date to reach an agreement that would allow a timely start to the season. The union didn’t respond to MLB on whether it agrees with that date or thinks there is additional time.

Players issued a statement criticizing management for the stoppage.

“Nothing requires the league to delay the start of spring training, much like nothing required the league’s decision to implement the lockout in the first place,” the union said. “Despite the decisions by the league, players remain committed to the negotiating process.”