Baseball's lockout cutting into bone now for fans, Twins and team president Dave St. Peter

After 16 hours of back-and-forth discussions between baseball team owners and the players union Tuesday, Twins President Dave St. Peter arrived at his office at Target Field on Wednesday morning optimistic about a collective bargaining agreement.

A deal would trigger an abbreviated spring training but restore the 162-game regular season — one that would allow fans at 100% capacity from start to finish. St. Peter could then look ahead to the annual breakfast on the plaza and pageantry for which Opening Day is known.

He still can. But he's not sure when that day will come after talks broke down and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced later Wednesday that a second week's worth of games would be canceled. That would wipe out the Twins' scheduled home opener April 7 against Seattle and five other games in the team's opening homestand.

"It just felt like we were in the go zone today," St. Peter said Wednesday evening, "particularly when you contemplate the potential for the loss of another week of games. These games get incrementally harder to make up.

"We are probably closer than we were a week ago or two weeks ago. But close isn't good enough. We have to get a deal done. I hope everyone is as focused on that as they need to be."

We are chugging toward Day 100 of the lockout. It's taken far too long for the two sides to get this close. They have agreed on several issues:

• The minimum salary will rise from $550,000 to $700,000 in year one of the deal.
• The luxury tax threshold will rise more than owners initially wanted — something about which mid- and small-market teams were particularly squeamish.
• A six-team draft lottery designed to discourage tanking.
• The National League would add the designated hitter.

But each time owners mention an international draft, the players have rejected it. Owners pushed for it again this week, even offering to implement it in 2024 at the earliest. Reports have the union upset that it suddenly became a greater priority, given the late stage of these talks. The union balked again Wednesday, talks broke down and games were canceled.

Corruption has seeped into the current international framework in which Latin players sign with teams once they turn 16. Agreements are made with kids at 13 and 14 years old, who are then hidden from other teams until then can sign. There have been kickbacks to scouts, the funneling of more money to players by signing less-talented players for more than they are worth with the extra money passed on to the better prospect. And performance-enhancing drugs given to teens.

"Any time a 12- or 13-year-old is being scouted, it's a system fraught with challenges," St. Peter said.

The union wants Latin players to continue to have a choice who they sign with, and for how much.

Someone will have to blink here. Wednesday marked the 98th day of the lockout.

This could have been avoided.

The owners announced the lockout Dec. 2. Instead of getting down to serious negotiating then, there was a 43-day gap in talks through the holidays and into January. The sides didn't get serious until February.

It's up to you to decide which side is the insincere one. For me, the owners jumped out to a big lead Dec. 2, but both sides are at fault for the events of the past couple of days.

Except for three games played by the Gophers during a trip to Florida, Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers is largely unused. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli and his coaching staff are holding meetings and working with players who are not on the 40-man roster and therefore not locked out.

Pictures of sun-soaked fields in Florida with baseball players getting ready for a new season could be just the cure for what ails the frozen Minnesota sports fan. But the lockout rages on. And it has now cost the Twins their home opener.

"It sucks to lose a home game," a frustrated St. Peter said. "I have tremendous empathy for our fans. They have been great. They have been through a lot — all the challenges our city and our community have faced over the last two years.

"They wanted to get back to the ballpark and support the team. Now they are going to be delayed doing so."