For months, from late 2021 to the spring of 2022, MLB fans had to endure a lot of lockout reporting.
The lockout was implemented by the league on December 1: from that point, until early March, there were no free agent signings, trades, or even communication between players and their teams.
All there was to talk about was the league, or the MLB Players Association’s (MLBPA) latest offer, draft pick compensation, minimum salary, competitive balance tax, and so on.
Those were the days, huh?
Washington Post’s reporter Chelsea Janes was hunting for news back then, together with ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Fansided’s Robert Murray, The Athletic’s Evan Drellich, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, and many others.
A Flashback To Lockout Negotiations
As the MLBPA offered a counterproposal for an international draft to MLB today, Janes had a flashback of what it was like to cover the lockout.
“Expectation seems to be talks on this will continue as deadline nears. Regardless, I will not be going to Roger Dean Stadium and will not be tracking Dan Halem’s walking habits. I just can’t,” Janes tweeted, hilariously.
Expectation seems to be talks on this will continue as deadline nears. Regardless, I will not be going to Roger Dean Stadium and will not be tracking Dan Halem’s walking habits. I just can’t. https://t.co/YFHcgRhRql
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) July 8, 2022
We all remember Roger Dean Stadium in Florida as the center of all the talks, negotiations, and news at one point.
And we all remember MLB deputy commissioner Dan Halem and union attorney Bruce Meyer walking to each other’s camp to deliver the written proposals and counterproposals.
Those weren’t particularly fun times, but at least we can say they brought us to where we are today: enjoying the 2022 MLB season.
The international draft issue is yet to be agreed upon, but it’s expected to be solved in the upcoming days leading up to the July 25 deadline.
