After 99 excruciating days of waiting and wondering when or if it would return, watching the back and forth of the pugilistic negotiations between the Major League Baseball owners and the MLB Players Association play out on social media, one of the most anticipated seasons in recent Mariners history can restart with the same sense of urgency that was felt when the 2021 season ended.
On Thursday afternoon, the lockout that was initiated by MLB owners on Dec. 2 officially came to an end with an agreement being reached by both sides on a new five-year collective bargaining agreement.
Less than 24 hours earlier, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred issued a lengthy statement, noting that the plan was to cancel regular season games through April 14.
