Brewers Return To Work After MLB Lockout Finally Ends

Finally, at long last, baseball is back.

One hundred and 51 days after their 2021 season came to a disappointing end in Game 4 of the NL Division Series and one day after Major League Baseball players and owners found enough common ground to end a 99-day lockout that resulted in a delayed start to both spring training and the regular season, members of the Milwaukee Brewers walked trough the clubhouse doors of American Family Fields of Phoenix ready to work.

“Guys are excited,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said Friday morning during a video conference with local reporters. “That’s the No. 1 thing. Just getting back on to the field in a Brewers uniform … that’s what we’re all looking forward to.”

Neither Counsell or Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns have been able to talk to players on the team’s 40-man roster since the lockout began at at midnight on Dec. 2 of last year. The communication ban was lifted on Thursday when player reps approved a negotiated deal that, among other highlights, raises the minimum salary to $700,000, introduces a $50 million bonus pool for young players not yet eligible for arbitration, adds a universal designated hitter and adds an additional playoff spot in each league for a 12-team postseason field.

The process had been contentious to say the least and comes after several years of growing disputes between players and owners but Counsell expected no issues when the team holds its first official workout early next week.

“Players have a great ability to understand that there’s a business side of the game, whether it’s their own contracts or the collective bargaining agreement, and they’re really good at separating those two,” Counsell said.

Unlike past years, Counsell won’t have to devote much of his time to introductions. Though the team did add a handful of players including infielder Mike Brosseau, catcher Pedro Severino and outfielder Hunter Renfore, a majority of the players on Milwaukee’s 40-man roster are back from last season.

Still, there is plenty of work to be done before actual workouts begin starting with checking in on the progress of reliever Devin Williams, who spent his winter rehabbing the hand he fractured at the end of the regular season. Because of the lockout, Williams and other players dealing with injuries and rehab had to do so on their own without the ability to consult with the physicians or using team facilities.

Then, there’s the challenge of adapting workouts and planning to incorporate the various rule changes on the horizon. As has been the case in the past, Counsell voiced his support for attempts to improve the quality of the game but urged patience before casting any judgement one way or another.

Part of that includes waiting for formal ratification of the CBA, and the finalized language contained therein which would provide a more detailed understanding of what will change, what won’t and what could in the future.

“We have to get a couple of more days ahead to get everything finalized, to see what we’re dealing with and then give them some time as to how they play out and not rush to judgment.”

From a work standpoint, not much will change from previous springs despite the late start. In normal years, the first few days would focus on pitchers getting their first bullpen sessions out of the way.

A similar plan will be in place early in this camp but since many pitchers on Milwaukee’s roster went through portions of their normal spring progressions on their own, Counsell expected to have a group ready to hit the ground running come Sunday.

“It’s going to look largely very similar to how we would ramp-up into the four days before spring training games in a normal year,” Counsell said.

The shortened Spring Training is similar to two years ago, when teams returned from their pandemic hiatus for a three-week “Summer Camp” prior to playing a 60-game season. But unlike 2020, when the Brewers worked out at American Family Field, they’ll have the benefit of their full complex in Phoenix, with all its bells, whistles and resources; a full complement of players and, though shortened, a slate of exhibition games against actual opponents.

“There’s plenty of time for this,” Counsell said. “I think really it’s just going to heighten everyone’s focus and concentration, to make each day a really good day and if you do that, you’ll get to the season in great shape.”

Milwaukee was originally scheduled to open the 2022 season at home against the Diamondbacks on March 31. Instead, the Brewers will play their first game on April 7, against the Cubs at Wrigley Field with the home opener coming a week later against the Cardinals.