The Collective Bargaining Agreement is about to expire in 2026, and there is a larger growing concern, which includes the LA Dodgers seeming habit. There was a work stoppage the last time this agreement was negotiated. The stoppage nearly resulted in the loss of a game in the regular season. A phenomenon that hasn’t occurred since 1995. This time too, the fear is a labor dispute could arise. 

The highlight of this dispute? A salary cap, payroll disparities, and competitive imbalance. Many have pointed out that the Los Angeles Dodgers spending spree is not fair to other small-market teams. The Dodgers have thrown money and acquired the best players. They have also often deferred payment to many of their players. Other non-wealthy teams fear if this remains the case, they will be left with no players.

MLB insider makes his feelings known about the Dodgers’ spending spree  

SportsCenter recently interviewed Jeff Passan and asked what the sentiment from the league is around the Dodgers’ spending. Passan said, “What the dodgers are doing is within the constraints of the CBA and that’s why nobody can really complain behind. The Dodgers have more money than some other teams and they are taking advantage of that. It’s not just the deferred money, it’s the money they’re putting into signing bonuses.”

Passan continues to say that this is a fundamental issue in Major League Baseball that goes back decades. The problem is that the league does not know that a salary cap would solve all the problems, as it has never been tried in baseball. According to the ESPN writer and insider, it’s really the feeling of not being able to compete that is harming the teams and their fan bases. Over the next few years, how the league figured this out is going to largely affect baseball. 

The history of MLB lockouts  

The first major lockout came in 1973, but it was resolved swiftly, with no games affected, leaving fans to breathe a sigh of relief. However, it set the stage for future confrontations, and in 1976, the owners once again flexed their muscles, initiating another lockout that, like the first, didn’t touch the regular season. Fast forward to 1990, and MLB was rocked by another lockout, one that didn’t cancel any regular season games either but had a significant impact. 

Spring training was slashed, and the start of the regular season was delayed, throwing off the rhythm of the game for players and fans alike. The owners were signaling that they were willing to disrupt the entire sport to get what they wanted, pushing the players to the brink. While the 1990 lockout didn’t cancel games, it made clear that no one was safe from the financial and emotional toll of these labor disputes.

With each lockout, MLB’s labor drama grew more complex, but they all shared the same underlying theme: money. Whether it was affecting the start of the season or delaying spring training, each stoppage had ripple effects on the sport. Fans might have been spared full-blown cancellations, but the strain was undeniable, and the tension simmered under the surface, always threatening to boil over.