JUPITER, Fla. — Major League Baseball representatives from the players union and owners were back at the negotiating table Monday in an effort to start spring training and avoid a delay to the start of the regular season.
This time the two sides met at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, home of the spring training sites for the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals.
Baseball players' union head Tony Clark attended negotiations for the first time since the Major League Baseball lockout began.
Joining Clark for Monday's negotiations were New York Mets stars Max Scherzer, Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo, among several other players.
MLB players and negotiators walk into Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter for talks on ending the lockout. pic.twitter.com/4qXU3ECFmQ
— Matt Sczesny WPTV (@WPTVMatt) February 21, 2022
RELATED: Canceled spring training would be devastating to Florida, Arizona economies
Colorado Rockies CEO Dick Monfort, chairman of the owners' labor policy committee, was on hand along with San Diego Padres' vice chairman Ron Fowler.
Bruce Meyer, the union's chief negotiator, was also in attendance.
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred was not present.
An official with the owners group said both sides have agreed to meet again Tuesday.
Meyer said there were separate meetings and joint meetings of players and owners Monday.
"The offer was disappointing, but we’re here for the week if necessary, and hopefully they want to get a deal," Meyer said in the parking lot as the Monday meeting ended.
"It's terrible for the sport, especially with what's been going on through the last couple of years with COVID," said Daniel Cavalieri, a baseball fan from Jupiter. "You'd think they would try to get this settled right away and try to get spring training [started] and get the fans back."
Max Scherzer shows up at @RDCstadium before meeting with @MLB @MLBPA. Signs a few autographs! @WPTVMatt @WPTV @FOX29WFLX #jupiter #springtraining #mlblockout pic.twitter.com/oUycPjnjJD
— Eric Pasquarelli (@PhotogEricP) February 21, 2022
It was announced Friday that spring training would not start earlier than March 5 after the league and its player's association couldn't reach a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement.
The league's ninth work stoppage, and the first in 26 years, began on Dec. 2.
Several stick points continue to hamper a deal, including luxury-tax thresholds and rates, revenue-sharing and how to address players' allegations of service time manipulation.
It is widely believed if no deal is reached by the end of this week, more games may be canceled.
Spring training has an estimated $70 million economic impact in Palm Beach County.
Opening day is scheduled to begin on March 31.
