The MLB players association gathered in Arizona this week to map out the game’s future and anticipate a possible lockout next December, just about a month after the Los Angeles Dodgers’ dramatic seven-game World Series win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
International interest remains high, driven by Japanese stars led by Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Attendance in 2025 rose for the third consecutive season, and a series of rule changes that began in 2023 has delivered a faster, more engaging game that many fans and commentators have praised.
Yet the eye-catching, near-record spending by the Dodgers—who totaled around $500 million and featured top players like Ohtani, Yamamoto, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman—highlights a persistent payroll gap that the MLB Players Association aims to address as negotiations loom for the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement on December 1.
MLBPA president Tony Clark indicated that formal bargaining would likely start in the spring, aligning with past cycles.
“As an organization, preparation for the next bargaining round begins as soon as the current agreement is settled,” Clark noted on Thursday. “Constant evaluation of the system is essential—how teams and players respond to it, and what it looks like a year from now.”
The union’s eight-person executive subcommittee includes 2025 Cy Young winners Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal, along with veterans Chris Bassitt, Jake Cronenworth, Pete Fairbanks, Cedric Mullins, Marcus Semien, and Brent Suter. There are also 30 player representatives—one for each club.
Clark praised the leadership, saying, “We have an outstanding group of player leaders. The organization grows stronger when players engage one another and are well informed on the issues, which is something we’ve consistently valued.”
A focal point for the MLBPA going into negotiations is encouraging all 30 teams to invest more in free agency to boost competitiveness across the league. While the Dodgers have spent roughly $890 million over the past two seasons to build and sustain championship rosters, the Oakland Athletics have committed under $150 million in the same span. Baseball remains the only major North American pro sports league without a salary cap.
The union is preparing to resist renewed calls for a cap, a stance that contributed to the 1994-95 strike and the first World Series cancellation in nine decades. Clark recalled that painful history and its lingering impact, noting, “When teams have the means to compete but choose not to, it raises questions about the system and its effects on the industry.” He added that there are ways to address these concerns.
Another key issue is ensuring younger players are compensated in ways that reflect their value on the field. Most players become arbitration-eligible after three years of MLB service time and can reach free agency after six. The last bargaining round did improve early-career pay, with the minimum salary rising to $700,000 in 2022 and edging toward $780,000 next year, plus a $50 million annual pool for pre-arbitration-eligible players.
Clark also addressed the federal probe into OneTeam Partners, the licensing company the union helped form with the NFL Players Association. He said the MLBPA will continue cooperating, answering questions and providing information as requested, even though timing and resolution remain uncertain.
AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.
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