Peace no more: Lockout in effect as CBA expires

Major League Baseball plunged into its first work stoppage in a quarter-century when the sport’s collective bargaining agreement expired Wednesday night and owners immediately locked out players in a move that threatens spring training and Opening Day.

The strategy, management’s equivalent of a strike under federal labor law, ended the sport’s labor peace after 9,740 days over 26½ years. Teams decided to force the long-anticipated confrontation during an offseason rather than risk players walking out during the summer, as they did in 1994. Players and owners had successfully reached four consecutive agreements without a work stoppage, but they have been accelerating toward a clash for more than two years.

Talks that started last spring ended Wednesday after a brief session of mere minutes with the sides far apart on the dozens of key economic issues. Management’s negotiators left the union’s hotel about nine hours before the deal lapsed at 10:59 p.m., and players said MLB did not make any new central economic proposals this week.

MLB’s 30 controlling owners held a brief digital meeting to reaffirm their lockout decision, and MLB delivered the announcement of its fourth-ever lockout — to go along with five strikes — in an emailed letter to the Major League Baseball Players Association.

The lockout’s immediate impact is to banish players from team workout facilities and weight rooms while perhaps chilling ticket sales for 2022.

Player moves

The Dodgers re-signed versatile All-Star Chris Taylor to a four-year, $60 million deal. Taylor, 31, was an All-Star for the first time in 2021, when he hit .254 with 20 homers and set career highs with 92 runs and 73 RBI.

◆ The Red Sox and Brewers orchestrated a last-minute trade, with outfielder Hunter Renfroe heading to the Brewers for Jackie Bradley Jr. and two prospects: infielders David Hamilton and Alex Binelas.

◆ The Diamondbacks signed four-time All-Star reliever Mark Melancon to a twoyear deal worth a reported $14 million.

◆ The Phillies signed right-handed reliever Corey Knebel to a one-year, $10 million deal.

◆ The Orioles signed right-hander Jordan Lyles to a one-year, $7 million deal.

◆ The Twins signed right-hander Dylan Bundy to a one-year, $5 million deal.