Arizona Diamondbacks – ‘lockout’ averted

General manager Mike Hazen of the Arizona Diamondbacks continues to the process of improvement

The regime of general manager Mike Hazen of the Arizona Diamondbacks can continue without interruption.

That’s because a potential lockout by the owners to the players was averted at the nearly the last minute late Wednesday night. Reaching a five-year agreement, representatives of Major League Baseball and the players union put a potentially hazardous situation aside, and worked for the betterment of the game.

Now, Hazen will continue to fill holes and seek ways to improve the product on the field. As well, manager Torey Lovullo is able to gather his staff, construct a regiment for spring training and prepare for the season ahead.

Issues which divided the union and owners did not appear to be monumental and for that reason, an agreement by the midnight Dec. 1 deadline was considered within the realm of real possibility.

While most definitive details surrounding the agreement remain to be finalized, the parties agreed that that recent popularity of the game, and reality of rising revenues, was not worth the risk of a protracted dispute.

Of the so-called significant issue, the owners dropped their demand to include international players in the annual draft. Other questions agreed to be amicably resolved.

Because of travel demands and the desire for more day games on get-way days, especially on flying from one coast to the other, the schedule will start earlier and likely during the week.

Details on revenue-sharing, luxury tax, regular-season games outside of the United States and Canada, the nature of the replay system, pace of game and meal money on the road, are to be finalized.