No end in sight as MLB cancels second week of games

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No end in sight as MLB cancels second week of games

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Choi Ji-man during the seventh inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York on July 3, 2021. [USA TODAY/YONHAP]

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Choi Ji-man during the seventh inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York on July 3, 2021. [USA TODAY/YONHAP]

 
Major League Baseball on Wednesday announced that the start of the 2022 season would be delayed to April 14, canceling a second week of games after the breakdown of labor negotiations between owners and players.
 
The majors have been in lockout since Dec. 2 last year, when the collective bargaining agreement between the players’ union and owners ended. Over the last three months, the two sides have failed to come close to reaching a new deal, with disagreements over issues like pay and the playoffs.
 
That continued failure to find common ground came to a head last week, when Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that the first week of the 2022 season would be canceled. Wednesday announcement cancels a second week of games.
 
It marks the first time regular season games have been canceled because of a labor issue since a player strike in the 1995-95 season.
 
For the three Korean players currently under contract with major league clubs — Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays, Choi Ji-man of the Tampa Bay Rays and Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres — the delay means more frustration and uncertainty and possibly a loss of income.
 
Major league players' pay checks start when the regular season begins. With the start of the season canceled and no plan to reschedule those games, players are likely to lose two weeks of pay. The players union contests the idea that players won't be paid for those games.
 
In the absence of any major league spring training, Ryu has been invited to continue training with the Hanwha Eagles, the KBO club he left a decade ago to play in the majors. Choi and Kim Ha-seong have both already returned to the United States where they're running their own training programs.
 
But while Ryu, Choi and Kim Ha-seong face continued uncertainty and potentially some financial impact, the ongoing lockout essentially forced Kim Kwang-hyun to end his major league career early.
 
Kim Kwang-hyun joined the St. Louis Cardinals in 2020 after a hugely successful career in the KBO that saw him named MVP at age 20 and win four Korean Series with the SK Wyverns. After two seasons in the majors, Kim Kwang-hyun had a solid MLB career 2.97 ERA with 10 wins and seven losses.
 
Kim Kwang-hyun ended the 2021 season without an offer to return to the St. Louis Cardinals for the 2022 season, but still remained a serious major league prospect. He could still have been an option for the Cardinals, as well as a number of other clubs.
 
But with major league teams unable to negotiate contracts and no end to the lockout in sight, Kim Kwang-hyun was eventually forced to bite the bullet earlier this week, agreeing to return to the KBO on a four-year deal with the SSG Landers worth 15.1 billion won.
 
That contract makes Kim Kwang-hyun the highest-paid player in KBO history, but also ties him to the Landers until he turns 38-years-old, essentially closing the door on the majors for good.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]
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