The owner-imposed lockout began on Dec. 2 and spanned 99 days before the deal was reached. The players have already agreed to the terms of the new CBA by a vote of 26-4. It’s worth noting that the separate MLBPA executive subcommittee voted 8-0 against it, but the player representatives overruled them in this vote.
FAGAN: 35 best free agents available with MLB lockout over
Next up, the owners have to ratify the terms of the new CBA. That is expected to happen around 6 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Once that occurs, the lockout will end and free agency will begin immediately. Spring training will begin shortly thereafter while Opening Day is set for April 7. So, baseball fans will have to wait less than a month for meaningful games to begin and just days before exhibition contests start.
MORE: What to know about MLB schedule with lockout tentatively over
After a long offseason that involved a lot of patience, MLB players are excited that baseball is officially returning. Many, including All-Stars Alex Bregman, Andrew McCutchen and Joc Pederson, took to Twitter to celebrate the good news and get pumped for the 2022 MLB season.
Meanwhile, other players cracked jokes about the rapid start to free agency and the return of their profile pics to Twitter, which numerous MLB players had changed to faceless avatars amid the lockout.
Below is a look at the best reactions from MLB players to the return of baseball.
