FORT MYERS, Fla. — In a normal year, Pioneer Press Twins beat writer Betsy Helfand would be down in Fort Myers, Florida covering the Twins, but instead she's stuck here at home covering a lockout.
"I'm ready for spring training to start,” Helfand laughs.
“I look forward to it every year.”
And she’s not alone.
Twins' Spring Training is an annual tradition for many fans who use it as an excuse to escape the cold days of winter.
Normally, Twins players would be reporting to Fort Myers right about now.
Helfand says it’s a coin toss whether a deal is reached before Opening Day.
"I'm hopeful. I don't know if I’m optimistic,” Helfand says.
During the lockout teams like the Twins can't sign players or negotiate contracts.
It's hitting the Twins especially hard with several big holes in their roster that need to be filled.
"They need a solution at shortstop and most importantly they need two, three, four starting pitchers,” Helfand explains.
And the impacts of this lockout stretch beyond the baseball field itself.
Ray Sandelli is a county commissioner in Fort Myers, Florida.
He says not having the Twins or the Red Sox in town for spring training is affecting countless small businesses like hotels and restaurants, and even companies like their local brewery Fort Myers Brewing.
"They had the concessions for beer and obviously it's been a couple of disrupted years for them,” Sandelli says.
Lee County conducted an economic impact study back in 2018 and found that Spring Training brings in nearly $70 million dollars a year to Fort Myers.
Around $57 million of that is spent outside the stadium.
It's money the community needs after a string of tough seasons due to COVID.
"We're all looking for a normal year, whatever that new normal is. We're still trying to define it,” Sandelli says.
A normal year, both for their community and the community of Twins fans who want to see their team back on the field.
"The one positive is that they've started negotiating every day. So, it feels like everyone is kind of feeling that urgency,” Helfand says.
Right now the MLB has blacked out all games until March 5.
Helfand says even if a deal is reached before then, the games and practices can’t start until after that date.
She says the two sides need to reach an agreement by the end of the month, otherwise the league might have to push back Opening Day this year.
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