MLB trial game postponed again... Secretariat "Not possible until March 18"

The U.S. Professional Baseball Major League (MLB) secretariat has announced the third postponement of the 2022 trial game.

The MLB Secretariat has said, "There will be no demonstration games until March 18."

MLB originally planned to start this year's demonstration game on February 27th, but on February 19th, it announced 'the first demonstration game postponed, plan to start the demonstration game on March 6th', and on February 26th, 'March 9th. We postponed the trial match due to 'opening'.

The MLB club was unable to amend its collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the players' union and decided to shut down on December 2, last year.

The club has suspended key business such as free agent (FA) negotiations.

The players did not have access to the club's training facilities and did personal training.

'Korean Big League' Ryu Hyun-jin (Toronto Blue Jays) remains in Korea and is training with his 'family' Hanwha Eagles squad.

Choi Ji-man (Tampa Bay Rays) and Kim Ha-seong (San Diego Padres) moved to the United States, but the spring camp facilities are not in use.

In MLB, Kim Kwang-hyun, a free agent (FA), cannot even set up a negotiating table, and is only warming up in Incheon.

MLB labor and management continued negotiations for nine days from February 22 to March 2 at the Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, USA, but the negotiations with Jupiter ended without any profit.

In the end, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred held a press conference on the 2nd and said, "The labor and management agreement has failed. We have no choice but to postpone the start of the regular season scheduled for April 1. "The regular season schedule of 162 games per team will be reduced to 'up to 156 games'. Canceled games will not be reorganized, and players will not be paid during this period."

The players' union said, "The reason we can't play is clear. The club used an economic weapon called 'lockout'," and blamed the club and the secretariat for reducing the regular season schedule.

The Secretariat and Players' Union officials left Jupiter and returned to New York, where they held a two-on-two closed negotiation yesterday in New York between MLB Executive Commissioner Dan Harem, Executive Vice President Morgan Sword, Players' Union Chief Negotiator Bruce Mayer and Players' Union Legal Counsel Ian Penny.

ESPN predicted, "The players' union is preparing to present an amendment to the secretariat," and "expansion of teams that advance to the postseason can create a contact point between labor and management."

Until last year, 10 of the 30 MLB teams made it to the postseason.

In the Jupiter negotiations, the secretariat proposed to expand the number of teams that qualified for the postseason to 14 and the players union to 12, respectively.

ESPN and CBS Sports said, "Expanding the teams that qualify for the postseason can lead to an increase in the MLB club's profits." , minimum salary, etc.) there is a possibility that the club will demand concessions in other areas."

The MLB Secretariat presented a guideline that, if the CBA revision is successful, the regular season will begin after four weeks of spring camp.

It means that 'April 8th opening' is possible only if labor-management agreement is reached next week.

There are many experts in the United States who predict the 'opening in May'.

The players' union also said, "The MLB club does not suffer financial loss from 'cancellation of matches in April.' We are pressing the players with our weapons,” he claimed.