Albuquerque Journal

Players say MLB season will start on time

Cardinals complete huge trade to acquire Rockies 3B Arenado in complex deal

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NEW YORK — Major League Baseball will proceed with an on-time start to spring training and the season after players rejected a plan Monday night to delay reporting by a more than a month.

“In light of the MLBPA’s rejection of our proposal, and their refusal to counter our revised offer this afternoon, we are moving forward and instructin­g our clubs to report for an on-time start to spring training and the championsh­ip season, subject to reaching an agreement on health and safety protocols,” MLB said in a statement.

“We were able to complete a 2020 season through Herculean efforts and sacrifices made by our players, club staff and MLB staff to protect one another,” MLB said. “We will do so again, together, as we work towards playing another safe and entertaini­ng season in 2021.”

MLB proposed to the players’ associatio­n on Friday that the start of spring training be pushed back from Feb. 17 to March 22, that opening day be delayed from April 1 to April 28 and that each team’s schedule be cut from 162 games to 154. MLB believed the virus situation would improve during the month delay.

Under the proposal, each team would have been allowed to be scheduled up to 12 split doublehead­ers. Experiment­al rules for seven-inning doublehead­ers and beginning extra innings with a runner on second base would have continued for a second season.

As part of the offer, MLB included the expansion of the playoffs from 10 teams to 14 and extending the designated hitter to the National League for the second straight season, a plan the union rejected.

MLB’s proposal Friday included expanded rights for Commission­er Rob Manfred to interrupt the season.

“The MLBPA executive board and player leadership reviewed and discussed the owners’ proposal throughout the weekend and (Monday),” the union said. “The clear-cut result of these deliberati­ons is that players will not accept MLB’s proposal, will instead continue preparatio­ns for an on-time start to the 2021 season, and will accept MLB’s commitment to again direct its clubs to prepare for an ontime start.”

Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, which expires next Dec. 1, calls for voluntary reporting dates of Feb. 17 for pitchers, catchers and injured players, and Feb.

22 for others. The mandatory reporting date, which few players stick to, is Feb. 27.

Notes

ARENADO DEAL OFFICIAL: The St. Louis Cardinals completed their blockbuste­r trade to acquire All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado from Colorado on Monday night.

St. Louis dealt left-hander Austin Gomber and four minor leaguers to the Rockies: infielders Elehuris Montero and Mateo Gil along with right-handers Tony Locey and Jake Sommers.

As part of the trade, Colorado will send cash to St. Louis to offset part of the money Arenado is due in his contract.

Arenado had been set to be paid $199 million over the remaining six seasons of a $260 million, eight-year contract. The 29-year-old Arenado has hit .293 with an .890 OPS over eight seasons, averaging 35 home runs and 114 RBIs per 162 games.

PEDROIA RETIRES: Dustin Pedroia, the undersized and over-achieving second baseman who spurred the Boston Red Sox to a pair of World Series victories with his grit and a third, after a knee injury effectivel­y ended his career, has retired.

Pedroia, 37, was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2007 and the MVP in his second season but has played in only nine games in three seasons since since a spikes-high slide by thenOriole­s shortstop Manny Machado took out his knee in 2017.

He was a four-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner, Pedroia batted .299 with 140 homers and 725 RBIs in a 17-year career, all with the Red Sox.

BRAVES, JONES REUNITING: Hall of Famer Chipper Jones is returning to the Atlanta Braves in a part-time capacity as a hitting consultant. The 48-year-old Jones played his full 19-year career with the Braves. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2018, his first year of eligibilit­y.

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