A labor deal has been reached between MLB owners and players, allowing for the commencement of spring training.

• A new labor pact has been reached between MLB owners and players, bringing baseball back.
• The luxury tax line for MLB will be $230 million in the first year of the new agreement and will increase to $244 million in the fifth year, compared to $210 million in the previous CBA.
• The season is now slated to start April 7.

On Thursday, Major League Baseball and the players' union reached a labor agreement, allowing spring training games to commence and Opening Day to take place in early April.

The players association's executive committee and player representatives approved the new collective bargaining agreement.

Commissioner Rob Manfred stated, "I apologize to our fans and hope that the players view our agreement as an olive branch to improve our relationship."

The lockout of players lasted 99 days, resulting in the cancellation of spring training, before a new collective bargaining agreement was reached.

The season was originally scheduled to begin on March 31. However, the owners decided to cancel the start of the season last week due to an inability to reach a deal with players by the league-mandated deadline.

According to ESPN, the season will start on April 7, with an agreement that extends it by three days. The schedule will feature multiple doubleheaders to compensate for any missed games.

As early as Friday, players can begin reporting to spring training, with games potentially starting on March 18.

If a deal is not reached by Wednesday night, MLB owners have stated that they will cancel additional games and postpone Opening Day until April 14.

The sticking point in the discussion was determining the extent of expanding the number of teams in the playoffs. The new format will feature 12 teams in the postseason, an increase from the previous 10. Additionally, the National League will implement the designated hitter role, allowing pitchers to focus solely on pitching in games.

The minimum salary for MLB players will be $700,000, with an annual increase of $20,000, while the luxury tax line will start at $230 million and increase to $244 million in the fifth year of the new agreement, up from $210 million in the previous CBA.

MLB's proposal last week for a bonus pool for prearbitration players was $30 million, but the sides agreed on a $50 million bonus pool.

Starting in 2023, a pitcher's clock and restrictions on defensive shifts will be introduced to enhance gameplay and shorten the duration.

MLB secured another revenue stream through the new agreement that allows jersey ads, with uniform sponsorships estimated to be worth $11 million per team, according to Nielsen. To allow players to wear the patches, MLB had to negotiate permission.

Patch ads are already present on the jerseys of the National Basketball Association, Major League Soccer, and the National Hockey League.

The agreement will be finalized, and free agency and player signings will resume later Thursday.

The lion's share of the blame for the lockout had been attributed to MLB owners.

According to a study by research firm Morning Consult, 45% of fans attributed the failure to reach a new agreement in Major League Baseball (MLB) to the owners, compared to 33% who blamed the owners for the dispute surrounding the shortened 2020 season. Additionally, 21% of fans blamed the players for the disagreement.

Despite the Dec. 2 lockout, negotiations continued throughout February, sometimes becoming tense, with one session lasting only 15 minutes. The lack of progress led MLB to cancel spring training games scheduled to begin on Feb. 26, and subsequently delayed Opening Day.

In its history, MLB experienced its ninth work stoppage, which occurred after a 27-year hiatus.