NEW YORK (AP) – Major League Baseball has chopped off another week of the upcoming season with the lockout in its 98th day. The decision means the season won’t begin until April 14 at the earliest and comes after differences narrowed on the three most contentious economic items under discussion. Management Wednesday gave the union a new option that would allow an agreement to be cut short after the 2024 season, leading to even more bargaining. MLB continues to press for its long-held goal of an international amateur draft. Players have repeatedly rejected the proposal since it was made on July 28.