MLB lockout delays start of spring training

For most Major League Baseball teams, pitchers and catchers were supposed to report to their spring training site either today or tomorrow. The MLB lockout is delaying the unofficial beginning of spring.

WASHINGTON - Today typically marks the unofficial start of spring.

It's the day most Major League Baseball teams usually have their pitchers and catchers report for spring training.

But the Nationals' facility in West Palm Beach, Florida, and every other MLB team's training facility, is dark. The league and its players’ labor agreement expired in December, and as of now, no deal is in place.

FOX 5's David Kaplan spoke to some Washington Nationals fans who say the home opener on April 4th, still feels like a long way off.

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"During the summers it’s such a vibe and there’s a lot going on, and baseball is a big part of it," said Charmayne Ortega.

When it comes to the players suiting up, Paul Townsend, another Nationals fan, said he doesn't "see it happening quickly" because of the lockout.

FOX Sports reports the owners and players union are talking, but it’s unclear how close or far apart the two sides are on reaching an actual deal.

Many businesses around Nationals Park were hoping for a big summer after the pandemic.

Farsad Khan is the general manager of Jackie American Bistro and Dacha Navy Yard, right across the street from the stadium.

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Dacha is an outdoor biergarten getting a winter facelift. Khan wants the renovations to be done by spring – March 9th to be exact – to be ready for the business that comes with a full stadium.

"We want to be 100% ready for the first Nationals game, it’s a huge drawing point for us," he said. "But we can only do what we can control."

"We’re going to do the work that we have to do to make sure we’re open and then beyond that hope that everyone else figures out what they have to figure out on the business side," Khan added.

If the MLB season is going to start on time, a deal would likely need to be reached within the next two weeks.