Since Major League Baseball owners locked out players on Dec. 2 of last year, little progress has been made on a new collective bargaining agreement.

The four major American sports have a CBA between owners and players in which revenue sharing, player incentives and league rules are established. The MLB Players Association, spearheaded by Tony Clark and the MLB owners, has met several times since Feb. 20. These meetings have led to virtually no progress.

The biggest sticking point in negotiations is the luxury tax, formerly known as the competitive balance tax, which establishes the maximum amount a team can spend without paying extra taxes.

The MLBPA has been working to raise that figure, which would lead to an uptick in player salaries around the league. However, the owners have been staunch in their efforts to keep that figure low or unchanged, which would give them less incentive to spend and thus increase their profits.

Even from an optimistic standpoint, there does not seem to be a path to a deal anytime soon.

It would not be surprising to see a shortened-MLB season, much like the one shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also delayed in part due to players and owners not being able to agree on a format.

Furthermore, the two sides are more polarized than ever before. There does not seem to be any issue within the negotiations the two sides agree on.

Even with Spring Training games being canceled, there is still no leniency from either side. Players and owners have already begun losing money, yet each maintains a tough stance.

The two sides have met for several days in a row as we get closer to Opening Day, scheduled for March 31. However, the deadline to get a deal done without sacrificing any regular-season games was Feb. 28.

For a sport that already lacks modern-day popularity and viewership, it may be a while before you and your family can put on your caps and head to the ballpark.