Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced this Thursday that team owners have accepted the implementation of the universal designated hitter.
The implementation of the figure of the designated hitter in the National League, as was the case in the American League, was a request from the Players Union, who have maintained a work stoppage since last December.
In a meeting with the press, which took place after a meeting between Manfred and the owners of the teams, he also assured that for the moment the date for the start of spring training camps remains unchanged.
“The start of spring training has not changed at this time,” Manfred said in his first meeting with the press since the Major League Baseball work stoppage was announced on December 2.
News #MLB Commissioner Rod Manfred at a press conference:
-Universal Designated Hitter
-This Saturday: meeting between owners and players
-Zero compensation in the drafts
-Manfred is optimistic that the season will start on time.
We’ll see what the new meeting holds for us ⚾ pic.twitter.com/3R2AhlR6dz— Santiago Cartaya (@cartayasantiago) February 10, 2022
The commissioner insisted that maintaining the date of the training will depend largely on the meeting that will be held next Saturday with the members of the Union of Players.
“The status of spring training is not changing at this time. We’re going to have a conversation with the Players Association about the schedule. Until we have that conversation and until we see how this session goes on Saturday, there is no change”, said the MLB commissioner.
The main executive of MLB, trusts the solidity of the proposal that they will bring to the players on Saturday and that the season can start, as scheduled, for March 31
“I am optimistic and I believe that we will have an agreement in time to play our calendar regular”, expressed Manfred, who indicated that he is aware of what constitutes for the industry that leads a possible delay in the start of the season.
“I consider that losing games is a disastrous result for this industry and we are committed to reaching an agreement in an effort to avoid that”, explained Manfred, who pointed out that “if I had not considered what it would mean to lose the games, I would not be doing my job”.
Despite Manfred’s optimism about meeting the deadlines for the start of the baseball campaign on time 550, the commissioner is aware and reiterative in the fact that they will not be able to meet that objective without signing a new labor agreement, a situation that was raised previously.
“We have some logistical aspects that would have to be handled between an agreement and the actual opening of the camps,” the MLB chief executive clarified.
The commissioner explained that they would propose training in four weeks, to allow the players to be placed in playing condition and would give them time to reach the start of the season on the estimated date.
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