LOS ANGELES ¨C A work stoppage stemming from a lockout or strike would damage Major League Baseball just as the sport is enjoying renewed growth in revenue and popularity, two of the game¡¯s all-time greats said.
The current collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the MLB Players Association expires Dec. 1, 2026. Some owners have floated a salary cap ¡ª MLB is the only major men¡¯s North American league without one ¡ª a proposal players oppose, raising the prospect of a labor dispute ahead of the 2027 season.
¡°It¡¯d be bad, because I¡¯ve been through every one of them,¡± Dusty Baker, who managed for 26 seasons and debuted as a player in the strike-hit 1972 season, said at a charity event in Beverly Hills, California last weekend.
¡°Very rarely does anything good come out of a lockout or a strike. So I¡¯m hoping that they settle it.¡±
Sammy Sosa, who hit 609 home runs during his career, good for ninth on the all-time list, said he thought there was plenty of time for the sides to resolve their differences.
¡°It¡¯s all about the contract, and I think they¡¯re going to have time to set up everything,¡± he said on the red carpet for the Harold and Carole Pump Foundation dinner, a fundraiser for cancer research and treatment.
¡°Both sides are talking about the dollar signs, but I believe that they¡¯re going to be able to agree at some point.¡±
Asked whether a salary cap would be good for baseball, Sosa said he doubted it.
¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± he said.
Phillies¡¯ Bryce Harper had a heated confrontation, according to media reports, with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred inside the Phillies¡¯ clubhouse last month about a potential salary cap.
MLB¡¯s gross revenues hit a record $12.1 billion in 2024, a 4.3% growth from the previous year and up 15.2% from 2012 on the back of its lucrative media rights, a growth in sponsorships and rising attendance, according to Forbes.
¡°Hopefully, they can agree,¡± Sosa said.
¡°The way baseball is going right now, there are going to be more players signing contracts.
¡°It is going to be more, more, more, and the salary is going to go up.¡±
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