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Auggie

(32,425 posts)
Wed Jul 16, 2025, 11:20 AM Wednesday

A lockout is looming over MLB in December 2026, with a salary cap fight possibly at the center

ATLANTA (AP) — Looming over baseball is a likely lockout in December 2026, a possible management push for a salary cap and perhaps lost regular-season games for the first time since 1995.

“No one’s talking about it, but we all know that they’re going to lock us out for it, and then we’re going to miss time,” New York Mets All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso said Monday at the All-Star Game. “We’re definitely going to fight to not have a salary cap and the league’s obviously not going to like that.”

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and some owners have cited payroll disparity as a problem, while at the same time MLB is working to address a revenue decline from regional sports networks. Unlike the NFL, NBA and NHL, baseball has never had a salary cap because its players staunchly oppose one.

SNIP

After signing outfielder Juan Soto to a record $765 million contract, New York opened this season with an industry-high $326 million payroll, nearly five times Miami’s $69 million, according to Major League Baseball’s figures. Using luxury tax payrolls, based on average annual values that account for future commitments and include benefits, the Dodgers were first at $400 million and on track to owe a record luxury tax of about $151 million — shattering the previous tax record of $103 million set by Los Angeles last year.

MORE: https://apnews.com/article/mlb-lockout-salary-cap-b2abf5a48833dac97d65dc92ce32d0bb

Highlights, from the link:

• Quote, Rob Manfred: "“When I talk to the players, I don’t try to convince them that a salary cap system would be a good thing. I identify a problem in the media business and explain to them that owners need to change to address that problem. I then identify a second problem that we need to work together and that is that there are fans in a lot of our markets who feel like we have a competitive balance problem.”

• Manfred said 10% of players earn 72% of salaries.

• Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1, 2026.

• Management lockouts have become the norm, which shifts the start of a stoppage to the offseason.

• During the last negotiations, the sides reached a five-year deal on March 10 after a 99-day lockout, salvaging a 162-game 2022 season.

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Let them strike. Restore competitive balance, especially now that all franchises must play each other. There's little to no pennant hope for fans in Cleveland, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Baltimore, etc.

The last small-market MLB club to win a World Series was the Kansas City Royals in 2015.

5 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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A lockout is looming over MLB in December 2026, with a salary cap fight possibly at the center (Original Post) Auggie Wednesday OP
Agreed, bring on the salary cap. Xavier Breath Wednesday #1
We're definitely going to fight not to have a salary cap says Pete Alonzo displacedvermoter Wednesday #2
Will all December games be off? Sneederbunk Wednesday #3
Those games are so slow it seems like literal months between pitches. Xavier Breath Wednesday #4
Baseball really needs a salary cap. Right now, competitive balance is off... Wounded Bear Wednesday #5

Xavier Breath

(5,850 posts)
1. Agreed, bring on the salary cap.
Wed Jul 16, 2025, 11:24 AM
Wednesday

It works in other sports and the mlb players can just get over themselves already.

displacedvermoter

(3,875 posts)
2. We're definitely going to fight not to have a salary cap says Pete Alonzo
Wed Jul 16, 2025, 11:26 AM
Wednesday

Jeezus, Joe Hill and Cesar Chavez would be proud of your efforts on the behalf of the working man!

Wounded Bear

(62,534 posts)
5. Baseball really needs a salary cap. Right now, competitive balance is off...
Wed Jul 16, 2025, 02:18 PM
Wednesday

and frankly, it has always been off in baseball, since the early days 100 years ago.

Unbridled capitalism ruins sports.

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