ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Baseball is back.
Over the past 99 days, representatives for Major League Baseball team owners and players spent countless hours negotiating a new labor deal with a tentative agreement being agreed upon on Thursday.
The fate of a 162-game season hung in the balance since owners decided to impose a lockout, cutting players off from any communication with teams. And, at times, things were looking bleak.
Both sides were unable to reach a deal before two separate self-imposed deadlines which led to spring training being delayed and hundreds of games being canceled.
It will remain to be seen whether the fallout of the lockout will leave a bad taste in the mouths of fans; but for now, the drama is behind us. We will, for what it's worth, get another year of America's pastime.
So, where do we go from here?
The fine print
After so much drama during labor negotiations, fans must be wondering if any of it was worth it for the game. The fine print of the new deal has not yet been released, but reports say one thing we can expect to see is a designated hitter in both the American and National leagues this season. That could lead to a lot more offense.
MLB also says the new five-year deal includes increased minimum salaries, a new pre-arbitration bonus pool, a raise in the competitive balance tax threshold, a draft lottery and a system to prevent any service-time manipulation.
All that is to say players can expect to be paid more earlier in their careers, and teams can feel free to spend a little more without fearing financial repercussions.
It also means there's less of an incentive for teams to purposely lose games, also known as tanking. The draft lottery means draft picks are no longer tied to a team's record, they will be decided at random. How exactly the league plans on conducting that lottery is not clear yet.
Spring training
The return of Major League Baseball means the return of spring training in the Sunshine State. Florida is home to the grapefruit league, which brings players from teams like the defending World Series champions Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays and Washington Nationals all along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts.
Those teams also have some dedicated fans who flock to the region, bringing money to small businesses around the ballparks.
Amid the lockout, spring training was delayed before games began being canceled. Whether or not those canceled games will be rescheduled remains to be seen. But, MLB says it expects camps to open by the end of the week and already announced last week that the earliest games will be played is March 18.
That means the first games Florida fans can see will be:
- Minnesota Twins vs. Tampa Bay Rays @ Charlotte Sports Park
- New York Yankees vs. Washington Nationals @ Ballpark of the Palm Beaches
- Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox @ Jet Blue Park
- St. Louis Cardinals vs. Miami Marlins @ Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium
- Atlanta Braves vs. Baltimore Orioles @ Ed Smith Stadium
- Houston Astros vs. New York Mets @ Clover Park
- Philadelphia Phillies vs. Detroit Tigers @ Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium
Regular season
Opening day was postponed during the lockout, but fans were left wondering until when. Well, now they have an answer. April 7 looks like the day fans can expect teams to play ball, and they don't have to worry about missing games.
MLB has already confirmed all 162 games will be played this season. Those that were canceled during the lockout will be rescheduled, the league says.
Here in the Tampa Bay region, that means Rays fans can expect to see the team at home on Friday, April 8, playing the Orioles for their home and season opener at Tropicana Field.
Free agency
Now for the game before the game. Last we left baseball before the dark days, teams were shelling out large contracts to free agents like it was nobody's business.
Three-time CY Young award-winning pitch Max Scherzer received a three-year $130 million contract with the New York Mets. All-Star Shortstop Corey Seager took the Texas Rangers up on their offer of 10 years $325 million. Veteran outfielder Avisail Garcia took his talents to South Beach for four years $53 million. The list goes on and on.
However, there are still MVP-caliber players on the market waiting for a team to give its best offer. For example, shortstop Carlos Correa is still unsigned. Former NL MVP Kris Bryant is also on the sidelines looking for a new home.
One of the biggest free agents whose name graced the feeds of Rays fans was Freddie Freeman. Earlier this week, reports surfaced that Tampa Bay made a big-money contract offer to the former Atlanta Braves first baseman prior to the lockout. It was an uncharacteristic move for the small-market team but a necessary one if it wants to continue competing for a World Series championship
With spring training a week away, we can all expect to see players on the move at a ferocious pace.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A previous version of this story listed Opening Day as April 14, which it had been pushed to on March 9. On March 10, it was moved earlier again. Now, 16 teams will open their seasons on April 7, while 14 (including the Tampa Bay Rays) are expected to do so on April 8.