The Major League Baseball Players Association accused the league of attempting to break the union in a statement released shortly after the start of the regular season was cancelled.
Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that the first two series of the season have been cancelled after a new collective bargaining agreement was not reached by a league-imposed 5 p.m. ET deadline Tuesday.
In response, the MLBPA said "Players and fans around the world who love baseball are disgusted, but sadly not surprised...
"What Rob Manfred characterized as a 'defensive lockout' is, in fact a culmination of a decades-long attempt by owners to break our Player fraternity. As in the past, this effort will fail."
MLB locked out the players in early December but momentum to reach a new CBA seemed to be building Monday, when the two sides negotiated for more than 16 hours straight. The two sides reconvened Tuesday but a deal was not found.
The Competitive Balance Tax, the pre-arbitration bonus pool and minimum salaries are among the issues the two sides remain far apart on.
"From the beginning of these negotiations, Players' objectives have been consistent — to promote competition, provide fair compensation for young Players, and to uphold the integrity of our market system," the MLBPA statement reads. "Against the backdrop of growing revenues and record profits, we are seeking nothing more than a fair agreement."
Opening Day was originally scheduled for March 31. This will be the first time since the 1994-95 player strike that games have been cancelled due to a work stoppage.
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