MLB spring training games postponed, won't start until March 5 at the earliest

Major League Baseball admitted the inevitable Friday in making the formal announcement that spring training games, originally scheduled to start Feb. 26, will be pushed back until March 5, at the earliest.

It marks the first time in nearly three decades that games have been postponed by a labor-related work stoppage, this one orchestrated by MLB’s lockout, which shut down the sport Dec. 2. Considering that pitchers and catchers were expected to be in camps this past week, the impact of the sluggish negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement is already being felt.

As a result, the Mets will lose the first seven of their 30 Grapefruit League games, the Yankees eight (including split-squad) of 34. Full refunds will be given for that portion of the schedule. MLB expressed "regret" for the move, then shifted to the company line.

"All 30 Clubs are unified in their strong desire to bring players back to the field and fans back to the stands," MLB said in Friday’s statement. "We are committed to reaching an agreement that is fair to each side."

So far, that hasn’t been worth much. MLB and the Players Association met for 15 minutes Thursday and again failed to make any traction toward an agreement, with the brief session — only the sixth face-to-face summit since the lockout took effect — described as unproductive by both sides.

But with spring training games now being sacrificed, and Opening Day soon to be in jeopardy, there finally seems to be a sense of urgency. MLB already has informed the Players Association that the deadline for a new CBA is Feb. 28 in order for Opening Day is to take place as scheduled on March 31, a source confirmed, and the two sides are mobilizing to restart the negotiations Monday.

In addition, MLB said in Friday’s statement that members of the owners’ bargaining committee will be part of the in-person session with the union and "remain every day next week to negotiate and work hard towards starting the season on time." The Yankees’ Hal Steinbrenner and the Red Sox’s John Henry are both on that committee.

Rob Manfred has publicly stated that teams will need a month to adequately prepare for Opening Day, which corresponds with what MLB has privately told to the union. Some players believe that it can be truncated further if necessary — they’re not paid for those games anyway — but cutting into the regular season would start trimming players’ salaries, which is why Opening Day then becomes a very costly potential casualty if this labor stalemate continues for much longer.

By David Lennon

dave.lennon@newsday.comDPLennon

David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.