Video above: Sausage vendor near Boston's Fenway Park feeling the bite of MLB lockout

Major League Baseball on Friday canceled spring training games through at least March 17 as negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players' union drag on.

On Tuesday, MLB postponed the March 31 Opening Day and canceled the first two series of regular-season games after a deal wasn't finalized.

A collective bargain agreement determines players' terms and conditions of employment. Players will not be paid for canceled games, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred noted.

The league indicated that it's prepared to continue negotiations while the union said that team owners are trying to crack the players' united front.

"We worked hard to avoid an outcome that's bad for our fans, bad for our players and bad for our clubs," Manfred told reporters earlier this week. "I want to assure our fans that our failure to reach an agreement was not due to a lack of effort by either party."

The league had initially canceled all spring training games through March 7, and MLB's Opening Day was slated for March 31. The commissioner said games were canceled and not postponed because it is not feasible to reschedule interleague games.

The earliest spring training games could start is currently March 18.

The players' union on Tuesday criticized the league's decision to postpone Opening Day and the cancellation of regular reason games, saying in a statement that players — and fans — are "disgusted, but sadly not surprised."

"From the beginning of these negotiations, Players' objectives have been consistent — to promote competition, provide fair compensation for young Players, and to uphold the integrity of our market system," the union said. "Against the backdrop of growing revenues and record profits, we are seeking nothing more than a fair agreement."

The league locked out the players on Dec. 2, preventing them from using team facilities and keeping free agents from signing new contracts. The halt stems from disagreements over how to distribute an estimated $11 billion in annual revenue.

Owners say they have been battered by the decline of in-person attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and they have pushed to sign a new CBA similar to the most recent one.

Players, meanwhile, have seen their salaries decline in recent years, particularly for non-star players. The union has pushed to change the league's restrictive rules around free agency and cut down on financial penalties for teams that spend heavily.

Major League Baseball canceled more Spring Training games on Friday due to the ongoing labor dispute between owners and players, the league said.

"While negotiations have yet to result in an agreement, we are committed to working around the clock through Monday's deadline," MLB said in a statement.

Last week, MLB announced the cancelation of some scheduled preseason games. The games, which were set to begin on Feb. 26 with some exhibition games beginning a day earlier, would no longer start earlier than March 5. Now the league has canceled games through March 7.

"We hope to preserve the full regular season that our fans deserve and the four weeks of Spring Training that players will need to get ready," the league said.

Members of the players' union, the Major League Baseball Players Association, and the league are currently holding face-to-face meetings in Jupiter, Florida, to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement contract.

"All 30 Clubs remain unified in their strong desire to bring players back to the field and fans back to the stands. Because we are seeking an agreement that is fair to each side, we have been responsive to the stated goals of players," the MLB said.

The league has set a Monday deadline to reach a deal on an agreement with the players' union so there could be typical 162-game season, a source familiar with the situation told CNN.

CNN has reached out to the the MLBPA for comment but has not yet received a response.

MLB's Opening Day is scheduled for March 31.

JUPITER, Fla. — Monday marks the first day of negotiations between MLB and MLBPA.

Teams were supposed to begin spring training earlier this month.

But that may not happen until March 5, and that’s the earliest estimate.

That pushes back Opening Day until at least March 31.

Negotiators, including Colorado Rockies CEO Dick Monfort and Bruce Meyer, will discuss a list of proposals at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida.

Until now, all talks during the lockout had been in New York at the offices of MLB and the players’ association.

Monday’s session will be just the seventh on core economics since the lockout started December 2, and the sides have met on consecutive days just once, on January 24 and 25.

MLB said Friday that it intended to have meetings with the union every day in the coming week.

MLB told the union that Feb. 28 is the last possible day to reach an agreement.

If an agreement is not reached in time, it would be the first time since 1995 that MLB has missed games due to a work stoppage.

Last week, MLB confirmed that due to an ongoing lockout imposed by team owners, the start of Spring Training would be delayed by at least a week.

While the owners and the MLB Players' Association are expected to ramp up negotiations this week in the hopes of salvaging the preseason, reports indicate that both sides remain far apart on several key issues.

The delay is devastating for cities in Arizona and Florida that host Spring Training games. Many communities were hoping 2022 would mark a return to normalcy after COVID-19 wiped out most Spring Training in 2020 and limited attendance in 2021. Now, the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues are dealing with the possibility of another canceled preseason.

"We're not happy," said Steve Adams of the HoHoKams in Mesa, Arizona.

The HoHoKams is a nonprofit that was established decades ago to assist with many aspects of Spring Training in Mesa. The group handles parking and other key operations during Oakland A's and Chicago Cubs games and then donates the revenue to local youth organizations and charities.

Adams says the delay of Spring Training — and its potential cancellation — could mean fewer funds for local athletics.

"That decreases the amount of money we're going to have for youth sports and nonprofits in the East Valley," Adams said.

Lakeland, Florida, has hosted the Detroit Tigers' camp every year since 1946. Kevin Cook, the city's director of communications, says Spring Training has become a key stream of revenue, accounting for $55 million for the local economy.

"That's just not what takes place around the stadium, but that's also the trickle-down into bars, restaurants, rental car facilities, things of that nature," Cook said. "That's really big, and those businesses that count on those dollars. It's going to definitely affect their pocketbook."

To the west in Dunedin, Florida — the Spring Home for the Toronto Blue Jays — local business owners say they hope to see fans in the stands in the weeks ahead.

"If the games don't happen this year, it's not good for us. It's not good for the city," said Ralph Kleinchrod, the owner of Home Plate restaurant. "[If] it's coming later, it's delayed, it's OK, it's not a big problem if they are here. But if they stopped completely, this is really bad for everybody here."

This story was originally published by Mary O'Connell and others on Scripps stations KNXV in Phoenix and WFTS in Tampa.

GOODYEAR, Arizona (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds on Friday released Dee Strange-Gordon, a non-roster invitee to spring training who auditioned at shortstop.

Strange-Gordon, a 32-year-old former All-Star and NL batting champ, got a shot with Cincinnati after Freddy Galvis signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Orioles.

But his chances were hurt by the team’s decision to move Eugenio Suarez from third base to shortstop, and also by good spring performances from versatile infielders Jonathan India and Alex Blandino.

Strange-Gordon, who spent the last three, mostly injury-plagued seasons with Seattle, hit .281 in 12 spring training games with four RBIs and four stolen bases.

He would have received a $1 million salary in the major leagues if added to the 40-man roster and the chance to earn $600,000 in performance bonuses for games played.

Strange-Gordon won the league batting title in 2015 as the Marlins second baseman and was a two-time All Star.