Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Bruce Meyer represents the players in the lock out dispute with Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and the 30 team owners (AP file photo)

MLB: Why there will be a lockout

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

There is no “potential” lockout; it is coming.

This December 1st is the day the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expires. I do not believe there will be a new deal in place between labor (players) and management (owners) by then. This is big business, and each side is trying to figure out who has the most leverage. Each side is trying to get leverage on the other side. The main dish “Salary Cap”

In December, we should hear (like it happened in previous disputes) from both sides; they will put their plan forward and all that jazz. That is going to happen, because that is the way it has always happened, and the best thing we have during this work stoppage is the history between owners and players, and there is precedent; you do not need a law degree to understand this. There is no mystery here.

Let us dig a little deeper.  Q: Can the players strike during this 2026 Postseason?   A: No, baseball players cannot strike during the upcoming 2026 playoffs because their current CBA (see above) runs through December 1, 2026. Therefore, the 2026 postseason, including the World Series, will finish before the labor contract expires. The current agreement guarantees there will be labor Peace throuigh the Postseason/World Series.

If there is no movement by late February or early March of 2027, then we all should be concerned, because the season will be in jeopardy.

The winter months? As it usually happens, other sports leagues are already playing: NFL, NBA, NHL, and on February 14, 2027, the Super Bowl is scheduled to take place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles (Inglewood), California. The Super Bowl is the biggest yearly sporting event in the United States, so baseball is already on vacation; to me, it is more a TV spectacle than just a game.

So what? It doesn’t matter which side we are favoring, owners or players, because in the end we, the fans and the media, are just spectators in the bullpen.

However, there is one thing both sides agree on: Major League Baseball (MLB) is a very lucrative multi-billion-dollar business. With media rights, ticket sales, and corporate partnerships, this league is one of the most economically powerful sports leagues in the world.

Finally.  How long will the lockout be?  Nobody really knows today, so get your PopCorn and hot butter ready, because these things have a life of their own. While the labor unions’ favorite word is “Solidarity”, owners might use “Unity”, same cat with a different collar.,

Want to bet?  Las Vegas oddsmakers are already taking bets on the possibility of winners and losers on this upcoming lockout.  Who knows? Maybe we should ask a team that is supposed to open play in Sin City in 2028, the ex-Philadelphia-Kansas City-Oakland-Sacramento Athletics.

Quote: Rob Manfred, Baseball Commissioner, explaining the 2021–22 lockout): “We hope that the lockout will jumpstart the negotiations and get us to an agreement that will allow the season to start on time. We cannot allow an expired agreement to again cause an in-season strike and a missed World Series.

Like they say in French – Faites vos jeux   – Place your bets.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.