As the Major League Baseball offseason heats up, all signs continue to point to a likely lockout coming after the 2026 season.
With the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) set to expire on Dec. 1, 2026, MLB and the Players Association (MLBPA) have indicated they are far apart on several core issues.
Chief among them is the potential implementation of a salary cap, which the players remain strongly against. If this ends up being a sticking point for team owners, MLB could face its longest work stoppage since the 1994-1995 strike, which lasted 232 days.
According to Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, representatives from MLB and the MLBPA recently met to discuss some pressing matters:
As the baseball industry braces for the potential of another lockout after the 2026 season, Major League Baseball and the Players Association recently held a meeting to discuss the sport’s labor issues, according to people briefed on the discussion but not authorized to speak publicly.
Lead negotiators Dan Halem for MLB and Bruce Meyer for the MLBPA both participated, the source told The Athletic.
While it is encouraging that both sides have already made an effort to meet, formal CBA negotiations are not expected to be held until the spring.
MLB lockouts have occurred in 1973, 1976, 1990 and 2021-2022. Player strikes in baseball history came in 1972, 1973, 1980, 1981, 1985 and 1994-1995.
MLB managed to avoid lockouts in 2006, 2011 and 2016 by coming to terms with the union before the collective bargaining agreement expired.
Tony Clark critical of potential MLB salary cap
MLBPA executive director Tony Clark has spoken out several times about the union not being receptive to any salary cap proposals in the next round of CBA talks.
Earlier this year, Clark reiterated that a potential MLB salary cap would do more harm than good.
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