For the ninth time in Major League Baseball history, players and team owners have decided to go through a labor stoppage.
The CBA expired on December 2 and the substantial differences between what the MLB Players' Association demands and what the owners are willing to give them forced them to make this tough call.
"We believe that an offseason lockout is the best mechanism to protect the 2022 season. 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," wrote league Commissioner Robert Manfred in a statement.
But, what does that even mean? Let's take a look at the 4 biggest questions from this situation.