MESA, Ariz. – Cubs infielders Nico Hoerner and Patrick Wisdom took batting practice and fielded ground balls at Bell Bank Park on Thursday morning, not knowing that another day of negotiations between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association would spark the biggest news of the offseason.
“Playing a full season, playing that many games in front of the fans is what it’s about,” Wisdom said when asked about the possibility of a full 162-game regular season. “I think my body’s ready for that, and I hope that we can get that done.”
He got his wish. Though the league threatened to take a full season off the table with several sets of deadlines, when the players association voted to accept the owners’ latest proposal on Thursday, the sides agreed to preserve the 162-game season.
Sunday becomes the new spring training report date for players other than those delayed by visas, multiple outlets reported. And Opening Day will be April 7, leaving a little over three and a half weeks in between.
How much spring training is enough to be ready for the regular season?
“That’s more of a question for the pitchers,” Hoerner said. “What we did in 2020, with the three-week build-up, was definitely fast. I did feel ready to play coming off of that. But with the amount of injuries we’ve had in the last couple years, I do think that, more than timing as a hitter or anything else, making sure that especially the stars in our game are healthy and ready for a full season … should be the biggest priority.”
From a starting pitcher’s perspective, Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks estimated earlier this week that he could make do with four turns through the rotation in spring training.
“We’re down here throwing a lot,” Hendricks said after a bullpen session Tuesday. “So, I bet your first outing, you can maybe start at around three innings. … You want to be able to go at least six [by the end]. If you’re starting the season not not fully up and not being ready for a full load, then from Day 1, you’re already putting stress on the bullpen. And it’s a long season, so it starts adding up quick.”
Spring training games are reportedly scheduled to start late next week, which would leave enough time for four turns through a five-man rotation.
