One Month Prior to Spring Training, MLB Remains A Mess

It’s really frustrating as a fan seeing what the owners and the players are doing to the game I love. MLB is in a rough place, and we’re less than a month away from spring training. 

We’re less than a month away from when the MLB season is supposed to start and yet there are still so many questions that remain about the upcoming season.

The DH remains in limbo, as does a possible expanded postseason, the number of the roster, and if the season will even begin on time.

A letter from the Cactus League on Monday stated that it wanted MLB to consider delaying the start of the season because of the rampant number of COVID-19 cases there.

The players union later responded basically saying they have no authority to demand the delay of the season, and that players expect a full season (and more importantly to them, full pay).

We officially found out on Monday that the MLB and owners made a proposal for a DH in the 2021 season but only if the players agreed to an expanded postseason.

Those discussions apparently took place before the holidays and haven’t really been picked up since then with the union standing firm and not wanting to give up any leverage before the upcoming CBA battle after the 2021 season.

And therein lies the biggest problem in all of this. Both sides are using these decisions as leverage over the other and not looking out for the best interest of the game.

MLB had already been on a decline in its popularity in the United States, which has only been worsened by the ugly public battles over the last year — and will only continue after this season with the CBA negotiations.

For fans, we just want to see our favorite teams and players play the game we love. Is that too much to ask?