The time left for Major League Baseball to make a labor deal before half of the teams are scheduled to hold spring training in Arizona is evaporating quickly.
Negotiations have moved slowly.
Players are set to make a counteroffer on Jan. 24 to club owners who locked them out.
The Cactus League is preparing as if the first exhibition games will start on time on Feb. 26, said Executive Director Bridget Binsbacher.
“We know how important spring training is to the local economy. It’s a huge driver of tourism and economic impact for Arizona,” she said.
The Cactus League is not part of pro baseball’s labor negotiations.
A shortened or canceled spring training would be the third disruption to the month-long event in as many years.
