Aside from the eternal march of entropy toward chaos - (speaking on the cosmic level, of course) - nothing is happening... nor will it, soon.
The lockout is a lockdown. Time has ceased, rosters frozen.
My guess - (no better as yours) - is this:
The owners will sit on their cans until mid-January. With Omicron surging, they won't meet with the union, and Zoom calls get nowhere. Their strategy was always simple: The longer they wait, the more pinched the players feel, and the better deal they think they'll get.
Around Jan. 15, the owners will seek to relaunch talks. At that point, the union will walk out. Why? To show the owners it can't be pushed around.
Around Feb. 1, the two sides will start talking. Maybe a secret committee of owners and players. Everybody loves a secret committee.
Around Feb. 15 - the time when pitchers and catchers would report - they will start negotiating. Both sides will feel pressure, if only to make it seem as though they're earnest.
Around March 1, they'll reach a tentative deal. But critics on each side will trash it.
Around March 15, both sides will approve the deal.
That will give teams a month to sign and trade players, and prepare for opening day, which will be delayed a couple weeks.
As for the Yankees, Cooperstown Cashman is clearly playing the waiting game. So are the Redsocks, Giants, Dodgers and most big market teams. One difference: The Yankees need an extensive makeover. They have huge holes, which require signings and trades.
Between now and then, there is little to say without feeling abused.
I get it that big money is at stake. But as this lockdown continues, the rest of us should grow angrier and angrier.
This needs to be the year when fan protests make their mark.
It's time for us to fight back. More on that in the coming weeks.
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