This weekend will ultimately decide how the 2022 MLB season will exactly play out, and the odds are not looking good.
MLB previously set the deadline for a lockout agreement for February 28, which is this upcoming Monday. Perhaps this time might be different, but it seems like after each meeting that little to no progress has been made.
Opening Day is set for March 31, nearly a month from now. Personally, I do not see a way that even happens. Spring Training has already been postponed, and players are still available on the market.
The bigger question at this point is how many games will be canceled. We are about to have two seasons in three years in which the season was shortened. During 2020, MLB couldn’t really do anything due to the pandemic, but they knew this lockout was coming.
Once the 2021 season was over, everyone knew we were headed to a lockout, and now we’re still here.
Our very own Walker Buehler in some now deleted tweets voiced his frustration about how the negotiations are going.
Whenever this lockout is over, the Dodgers will have some free agents to sign. Joe Kelly, who is one of the Dodgers pending free agents and a fan favorite, expressed interest in returning to L.A.
“Obviously I want to come back and be a Dodger,” Kelly said. “Interest is mutual so we gotta make something happen.”
Kelly made his intentions known during a radio interview this week. The Dodgers declined his $12 million option for the 2022 season not long into the winter. Kelly’s 2021 season ended when he suffered an injury in the NLCS against the Braves.
Another Dodger who’s season ended prematurely was Max Muncy, but he has shared news that he expects to be ready for when the 2022 campaign begins, whenever that may be.
It has also been reported that the Dodgers could sign Freddie Freeman, as things between him and the Atlanta Braves may not work out. The Dodgers and Yankees are among the teams who are expected to be interested in the 32-year-old slugger.
So this weekend will be vital in addressing the 2022 season. Let’s hope MLB pulls out some magic or something so we can ultimately get the season the fans deserve. But in my eyes, it is not looking good.