Advertisement

Here’s what Major League Baseball’s lockout means for the Kansas City Royals (and fans)

As expected, Major League Baseball’s owners officially locked out the players effective at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday following the expiration of the most recent collective-bargaining agreement. That decision set in motion baseball’s first work stoppage in 26 years.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred addressed a letter to baseball fans after the impasse became official.

“Simply put, we believe that an offseason lockout is the best mechanism to protect the 2022 season,” Manfred wrote. “We hope that the lockout will jumpstart the negotiations and get us to an agreement that will allow the season to start on time. This defensive lockout was necessary because the Players Association’s vision for Major League Baseball would threaten the ability of most teams to be competitive. It’s simply not a viable option.”

The MLB Players Association released its own statement in response to the lockout, as did MLBPA executive director Tony Clark.

“This drastic and unnecessary measure will not affect the Players’ resolve to reach a fair contract,” Clark’s statement read. “We remain committed to negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement that enhances competition, improves the product for our fans, and advances the rights and benefits of our membership.”

Manfred and Clark also held separate news conferences in Texas on Thursday morning.

Here’s a look at where this lockout leaves teams such as the Kansas City Royals — and their fans.

How does the lockout affect offseason moves?

All players’ statuses have been effectively frozen, as have all MLB transactions.

Free agents who were not signed or who had deals that hadn’t officially been completed at the time of the lockout will remain free agents. Teams cannot sign players to major-league deals or contract extensions, nor can they make trades or waive, option or release players.

Pitchers Greg Holland, Ervin Santana, Jesse Hahn, Jakob Junis, Kyle Zimmer, Scott Blewett and infielder Hanser Alberto all appeared in games for the Royals last season. They were unsigned at the time of the lockout, and they’ll remain free agents in limbo, unable to sign with major-league teams, until the lockout ends.

The Rule 5 Draft has been postponed indefinitely, which means no minor-league players not currently on 40-man rosters will be lost or added.

The major-league portion of the Winter Meetings, a high-profile media event for team officials and typically a hotbed of transactional activity, has been canceled.

So how does this affect Royals players?

Teams cannot have any contact with players on their 40-man rosters, and that includes members of the front office as well as members of the coaching, training, medical and performance science staffs.

Players are not allowed at team facilities.

By letter of the law, that means All-Star Salvador Perez will be barred from training with Royals coaches Pedro Grifol and Mike Tosar — part of the catcher’s regimen in recent years in Miami.

The Royals had hoped that shortstop Adalberto Mondesi, who is training in Florida this offseason, could also work with Tosar. Tosar is one of the organization’s hitting gurus and has worked closely with Perez and former Royal Jorge Soler. That will be prohibited until an agreement is reached.

The lockout also means no Royals personnel, including coaches and trainers, can have contact with or provide feedback to the team’s young core of starting pitchers, a group that includes Kris Bubic, Jonathan Heasley, Carlos Hernández, Jackson Kowar, Daniel Lynch and Brady Singer. Nor can they communicate with top position-player prospects recently added to the 40-man roster, such as Nick Pratto and M.J. Melendez.

Players on the 40-man roster who are rehabbing injuries will not be allowed to do so with team personnel, or at team facilities.

Are minor-league players also restricted?

No. Minor-leaguers who aren’t on the 40-man roster can conduct business as usual and train at team facilities. Prospects and past top draft picks like Bobby Witt Jr., Asa Lacy, Nick Loftin, Frankie Mozzicato and Ben Kudrna can have contact with Royals staff because they’re not yet on the 40-man roster.

Are MLB or Royals employees in danger of losing their jobs?

Speaking broadly about all 30 teams, Manfred said during his news conference on Thursday that there was no danger of layoffs or furloughs in the league’s central office. He also said there was no expectation right now of furloughs for front-office employees.

MLB players are not paid during the offseason, so their salaries are not affected by the lockout right now.

What does this mean for offseason events?

Players will not be allowed to participate in team events while the lockout continues. Royals Fanfest, which has not taken place since January 2020 because of the pandemic, was already doubtful again because of ongoing public-health concerns. The lockout likely seals that fate for the second consecutive year.

Players will also likely be absent from any team media events or on social media channels.

MLB.com has already temporarily removed images of current players from team and league websites and articles.

OK, bottom line: Will any games be missed?

As of right now, games are not in imminent danger of being canceled or postponed. Spring training reporting dates aren’t until February. Cactus League (Arizona) and Grapefruit League (Florida) spring training games aren’t scheduled to begin until the final week of February.

It’s possible, if no agreement is reached and the lockout extends into late winter, that the spring training and regular-season schedules will be adjusted.

Kansas City Royals third baseman Adalberto Mondesi grabs this grounder off the bat of the Oakland Athletics’ Sean Murphy for an out at first during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
Kansas City Royals third baseman Adalberto Mondesi grabs this grounder off the bat of the Oakland Athletics’ Sean Murphy for an out at first during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
Kansas City Royals’ Salvador Perez celebrates with third base coach Vance Wilson after hitting a three-run home run during the first inning of the team’s baseball game against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City Royals’ Salvador Perez celebrates with third base coach Vance Wilson after hitting a three-run home run during the first inning of the team’s baseball game against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)