MLB: Start of season delayed because of labour dispute between team owners and players

The start of the Major League Baseball (MLB) season has been delayed because of a labour dispute between team owners and players.

Nine days of negotiations between the MLB and the players' association (MLBPA) has ended in deadlock.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said the league had been left with no choice but to cancel the opening round of matches.

«We worked hard to avoid an outcome that is bad for our fans, our players and our clubs,» said Manfred.

The new season had been due to begin on 31 March.

The MLB and the MLBPA have been unable to come to an agreement on several money-related issues, including the size of the league's competitive balance tax — which works like a salary cap.

Manfred added: «We're not going to be able to play the first two series of the regular season and those games are officially cancelled.

»Our failure to reach an agreement was not due to a lack of effort by either party.

«The players came here for nine days, they worked hard to try and make a deal and I appreciate their effort.»

Manfred said team owners had offered «compromise after compromise» in an effort to avoid a cancellation of fixtures, including an offer to raise minimum salaries across the league by $130,000 (£97,553) to $700,000 (£525,294).

Although the 2020 season was shortened because of the Covid-19 pandemic, it will be the first time regular season games have been lost since the 1995 lockout, when 948 games were cancelled.