Surely, many of us have been in denial over the state of CBA negotiations between the Major League Baseball Players' Association and the team owners. It's always darkest before the dawn, as they say, but as discussions continue to move at a glacial, adversarial pace, it seems increasingly possible that baseball won't be starting on time this year.

It's been a rough couple of years for MLB fans, what with not being able to attend any of the games during the shortened 2020 season and many still remaining understandably cautious about going out in 2021. And now, a contentious battle between the players and teams owners has resulted in a lockout everyone knew was coming but is no less frustrating.

Most recently, the MLBPA was “underwhelmed” by the league's latest offer, and for good reason. Both sides remain incredibly far apart on the subject of revenues and fair compensation. The players initially proposed a bonus pool of $105 million to reward pre-arbitration players, which the MLB countered with the hilariously low offer of $10 million. The players then lowered the number to $100 million, and team owners increased their measly number to a still-laughably-low $15 million.

Both sides also remain far apart when it comes to the Competitive Balance Tax. Team owners have been sitting in a $214 million to $222 million range for a five-year period, whereas the players are north of that, sitting in the $245 million to $260 million range for the same stretch.

There are additional issues when it comes to the MLB's minimum salary and service time manipulation, which means there are still fundamental economic points that show no signs of impending compromise. These are vital issues in regards to the fairness of the game and how players are paid, and MLB is no doubt trying to test the unified resolve of the players. If a shortened season is the cost for players to get more of what they're owed, so be it, but it sure doesn't make it any easier for the fans.

Baseball is truly at a crossroads. It's not like the game was exactly thriving in the eyes of fans before the lockout, and a prolonged absence is only going add to the apathy. The MLB remains completely inept at marketing its stars, and many fans remain locked out of even being able to watch their teams because of blackout restrictions and Bally Sports playing hardball with every single streaming service out there.

This is normally the week when pitchers and catchers start reporting to spring training sites, helping fans navigate the home stretch of a long and cold, dark winter, but this year it looks like we'll be doing it alone. The concept and consequences of a lockout-shortened season won't really start to take hold until maybe March, because no matter when this ends, players are going to need some form of a training camp to get ready. It would appear we are about to reach the point of no return when it comes to starting on time.

And where does baseball go from here regardless? Are the concepts of a universal DH and possibly expanded playoffs enough to make fans forget that games somehow continue to run longer each and every season? Would a draft lottery make it a little bit easier to watch the most depressing franchises? Will someone in MLB's marketing department finally figure out a way to showcase the game's best players—Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper, Mookie Betts, Jorge Soler—to a younger generation?

There are a ton of problems being addressed in the CBA negotiations, but there are so many more the MLB seems ill-equipped to handle. This lockout is currently baseball's most visible problem, but it certainly won't be the last moving forward.