MLB keeps spring camps on hold, missing opener 'disastrous'

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Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says losing regular-season games to a work stoppage would be a "disastrous outcome," yet spring training remains on hold as the threat to opening day increases.

With the second-longest work stoppage in baseball history stretching into its 71st day, Manfred said teams will make a "good-faith, positive proposal in a effort to move the process forward" when negotiations with the players' association resume Saturday. It will be just the fifth economic bargaining session since the five-year labor contract expired.

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MLB planned to move somewhat in the union's direction, two people who attended the owners' meeting told The Associated Press. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because Manfred did not discuss details of the proposal.

"I am an optimist and I believe we will have an agreement in time to play our regular schedule," Manfred said during a news conference Thursday after three days of meetings. "I see missing games as a disastrous outcome for this industry, and we're committed to making an agreement in an effort to avoid that."

Spring training workouts had been scheduled to start on Feb. 16. Opening day is March 31.

"The status of spring training is no change right now," Manfred said. "We're going to have a conversation with the MLBPA about the calendar. We understand where the calendar is, but until we have that conversation and until we see how this session on Saturday goes, it's no change."

Whenever an agreement is reached, at least three weeks of workouts are needed.

"We thought, 20, 21 days, whatever we had in 2020 was a problem for us," Manfred