MLB 2027 season is threatened with a lockout as owners push for salary caps, could this lead to missed games? Here’s all you should know

As the World Series concludes, the next Major League Baseball season is hanging by a thread. With just 148 days remaining till the 2027 season begins on March 24, the MLB is threatened by a major lockout.

This comes as club owners are proposing a salary cap for the first time since 1994. The proposed salary floor had led to a seven and a half month-long strike in that year. It was also the first time the World Series was cancelled due to work stoppage in the league’s 90-year legacy.

Why is an MLB lockout expected?

A lockout is the most expected outcome when the collective bargaining agreement or the CBA between the league and the players’ association expires on December 1, 2026. The five-year deal was signed in March 2022. The deal came on the heel of a 99-day management strike. The deal lays down the terms “that govern player employment, compensation, benefits, working conditions and the overall structure of the game,” according to the MLB Players Association.

Once the agreement expires, the MLB team owners will move to lockout all players if the two sides are not able to get behind a new deal. However, it is expected that the two sides will not be on the same side until then.

Currently the MLB does not have a ceiling or a floor to how much a team may pay its players like other leagues including the NFL and NBA. The league, however, does have tax tiers to penalise large salaries.

The MLB club owners are now proposing to add a cap and floor to improve the balance and “level the playing field”. The players association is claiming the cap would lead to franchise values going up and hence help make the teams more money.

Will the lockout impact any games?

According to the New York Times, the 2027 MLB season will still be played although it might be shortened. The league has not missed any games due to a strike since the work stoppage in 1994. Apart from the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic the league has held a full schedule of games.

During the last lockout in 2021-2022, following which the CBA was signed in March 2022, both sides came to an agreement before any games were impacted. The MLB had cancelled some games on March 1, 2022, but the league was still able to complete a 162-game schedule. The Opening Day was delayed two weeks than usual. The MLB and the players’ association will need to come to an agreement in a similar timeline to not miss any games.

The MLB has proposed a 154-game season. The proposal also includes a week off and allows an extension for a longer-than-usual post season. The players association is proposing adding two players to the roster, taking it from 26 to 28. Players only get their signing bonuses and any deferred salary during a lockout. Players only get their base salaries while the season runs.