Holding his first press conference since the lockout began, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred did not officially push back spring training or anything else on the 2022 schedule, expressing optimism that Opening Day will still take place on March 31. He said both sides are in agreement about adopting the universal designated hitter and removing the connection between top free agents and draft-pick compensation. Also, there will be a lottery used to determine which teams receive the top overall draft picks (instead of defaulting to the reverse standings).
