DAVENPORT, Iowa — When the 2022 Major League Baseball season begins, if it ever does, is as good as anyone's guess right now.
Commissioner Rob Manfred officially announced Tuesday that the first two series of the regular season have been canceled after the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) turned down the league's "best and final" offer on the ninth-straight day of negotiations.
It's disappointing news for baseball fans, but if there's any silver lining, it's that the 2022 Minor League Baseball (MiLB) regular season is still scheduled to begin on time, though some affiliates could be affected more than others.
The stoppage began Dec. 2, 2021, following team owners and Manfred voting to lock out the players after the most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expired. The CBA only impacts players who are part of the MLBPA, which consists of any player (MLB or MiLB) that is on a big league team's 40-man roster.
As a High-A Kansas City Royals affiliate, the Quad Cities River Bandits do not have any players on a 40-man roster. Since those players aren't part of the union, they are eligible to play. The same goes for the Cedar Rapids Kernels, a High-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.
The minor league teams more likely to be affected are those further up the affiliate ladder.
Teams like the Iowa Cubs (Triple-A affiliate, Chicago Cubs) will be without players who have gone back and forth between the big leagues and minors, and are listed on the 40-man roster.
In that case, the teams will have no choice but to move-on as scheduled with preparations for the regular season.
In December 2021, Kernels general manager Scott Wilson told Des Moines Register everything appeared to be on track despite the state of things between the MLBPA and team owners.
"I've spoke with our major league affiliate (Minnesota Twins) and they assured us that everything in the minor leagues would go on as status quo," Wilson said.
So far, the only significant changes to the River Bandits this season comes in the form of a new crop of young talent, and new manager Brooks Conrad. He replaces the previous skipper and MiLB Manager of the Year Chris Widger who was promoted the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals in January.
Opening Day for the defending champion River Bandits is scheduled for April 8, on the road against the South Bend Cubs.