NEW YORK — With the World Series over, Major League Baseball now turns to a labor fight that could delay the 2027 season. The collective bargaining agreement between team owners and the players union runs out at 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Dec. 1, and the league is widely expected to lock players out once it does.
The biggest gap is over money. Owners want a salary cap paired with a minimum payroll floor, arguing it would give fans in smaller markets a fairer shot. The union has said it will not accept a cap.
This year’s payrolls show the spread the league points to. The New York Mets spent more than $346 million, while the Cleveland Guardians spent less than $75 million. Yet the four teams that reached the league championship round ranked second, 19th, 28th and 30th in spending.
MLB has also floated a 154-game schedule in place of the current 162, adding a weekly off day, and lengthening the Division Series to seven games beginning in 2029. Drug testing and in-game microphones for players are on the table as well.
Until Dec. 1, the offseason runs as usual, with awards in November and free agents free to sign. Once a lockout starts, trades and signings stop and clubs cannot contact players on their 40-man rosters.
The current deal was signed March 10, 2022, ending a 99-day lockout that wiped out spring training but still allowed a full 162-game season.
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