We have reached day 90 of the lockout and the MLB and MLBPA failed to reach an agreement prior to Tuesday night’s deadline. The result is regular-season games being canceled due to a lockout for the first time since 1995.
Rob Manfred announced that the first two series of the 2022 season will be canceled. This is the second time in three years that Opening Day has been delayed. In 2020 it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Current Cancellations
The schedule change robs the Chicago White Sox of two series against divisional opponents. The White Sox were set to face the Twins at home for Opening Day. That would mark the first game of a three-game set before the White Sox traveled to Kansas City to play the Royals for another three-game series.
While losing six games of a 162 game season does not seem like a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, the White Sox had an excellent record against AL Central opponents last season. Especially the Minnesota Twins.
The White Sox owned the Twins winning 13 of the 19 meetings between the two. However, the Southsiders went 9-10 against the Royals. It was the only team in the division they had a losing record against.
The MLB and MLBPA are set to meet again on March 8th. That leaves only 23 days before the initially scheduled Opening Day. Assuming the two sides can reach an agreement the White Sox new date for Opening Day will be on April 8th against the Detroit Tigers.
Other Series In Jeopardy
However, at the rate negotiations are going more cancellations are likely to come. Fourteen Spring Trining games have already been canceled. If the first month of the season is canceled the White Sox could potentially open the season with a series against the Chicago Cubs in May. If this were to happen it would be the first time ever Chicago was graced with a crosstown opening day matchup.
However, if all the April games are canceled the White Sox would lose one series against each divisional opponent. Fans would also miss out on a great matchup with the up-and-coming Seattle Mariners as well as a perennial AL contender in the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Seattle Mariners just missed out on the postseason last year. They responded by adding AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray. Seattle is also in the running to land Kris Bryant. They are slated to be in town from April 12-14th.
Tampa Bay rolls into Chicago on April 15th. The White Sox home series against the Rays last June was one of their better ones of the season. Each game was tightly contested culminating in a Yasmani Grandal walk-off in extra innings to seal a 2-1 series victory.
The White Sox wraps up the month with the first two games of a four-game set against reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angeles.
With the MLB and MLBPA being so far apart on key issues the chances of these two series being canceled are growing each day.
