MLB Lockout 101: Everything to know about baseball's likely upcoming work stoppage — SkimNews
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- MLBPA and MLB owners are negotiating a new CBA for the 2027-31 seasons, with the central dispute over whether MLB will adopt a salary cap; the current agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1.
- MLB owners are expected to lock out players after the agreement expires, triggering a transaction freeze and barring anyone on a 40-man roster from team facilities, trainers, physicians and coaching staff.
- MLB free agency begins Nov. 2, leaving roughly one month for trades and signings before the freeze, while the 2021-22 run-up produced a swarm of last-minute deals before the prior lockout.
- MLB's national broadcast and streaming contracts would be extended through 2029 if a lockout canceled at least 60 games in 2027, pushing back the league's centralized streaming-rights windfall and giving owners a reason to reach agreement before June.
- MLB's minor-league season will proceed normally under a separate CBA still in force, with only minor-leaguers on 40-man rosters excluded; the vast majority of minor-leaguers are not locked out.
- Rob Manfred said an offseason lockout creates bargaining leverage and jump-starts CBA talks, but owners did not submit their first proposal until roughly six weeks after implementing the 2021-22 lockout.
Why it matters: League owners have a concrete incentive to settle before June: losing 60 or more 2027 games would extend national broadcast and streaming contracts through 2029, delaying the centralized streaming revenue structure they want to build. That financial lever sits alongside the immediate league-wide freeze on trades, signings and 40-man player access.
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