Major Leaguers Holding Their Own Spring Training in Arizona

As collective bargaining talks drag on, and the MLB owners and players union creep excruciatingly slowly towards hopefully ending their standoff, many major leaguers have taken it upon themselves to get their spring training reps in — with each other.

In Mesa, Arizona, locked out players in Arizona are gathering at the brand new Bell Bank Park, unaffiliated with any major league team, but billed as "the largest sports and entertainment facility in North America."

Here’s your MLB fix for the day: Liam Hendriks of the White Sox throwing a bullpen at the MLBPA workout camp in Mesa, Ariz. pic.twitter.com/v7SCerqESF
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) March 8, 2022

Players from the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, and more, are throwing bullpen sessions and taking batting practice — wearing black T-shirts and hats completely bereft of any MLB team affiliations.

Mixing spring workouts with players from other teams is a bit bizarre for them, but it's a necessity at this point, as they want to be ready when (if?) the time comes.

"Cordial foes" working out together

“During the season you are kind of like cordial foes,” Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen told Mike Puma of the New York Post. “Here, it’s kind of cool — [Kevin] Plawecki just caught me, and I played against him for two years in D.C., and getting to have that dynamic was kind of interesting.”

In the meantime, they're all hoping they can get back to their own teams' spring training soon.

“The game just needs to be on the field, you need to be seen and you need to be playing in front of the fans,” Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks said. “That is what the game is all about.

Photo Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports