WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 02: U.S. President Donald Trump holds a baseball bat while looking at exhibits during a Spirit of America Showcase in the Entrance Hall of the White House July 02, 2020 in Washington, DC. The president visited with representatives from invited companies like Weber-Stephen Products, the Texas Timber Wood Bat Company, Scars & Stripes Coffee, Carolina Pie, Fruit of the Earth, Nautilus Fishing Company and others. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Major League Baseball's labor negotiations are already generating concerns about a potential work stoppage, even though the current collective bargaining agreement does not expire until December.
Owners and players began negotiations last month, with many around the sport expecting a contentious process centered on issues such as a potential salary cap, revenue sharing and competitive balance.
The concerns stem from baseball's history of labor disputes and the significant divide between the league and the MLB Players Association on several economic issues. According to the Associated Press, MLB owners are expected to pursue a salary-cap system, a proposal the union has long opposed.
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Now, a new report suggests some owners are already contemplating an unusual factor that could influence negotiations if talks drag into next year.
"While MLB owners will gather Tuesday and Wednesday in New York as labor talks have begun, several owners believe that if this becomes a long, drawn-out work stoppage that threatens games in 2027, the X-factor could be sitting in the White House,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote in his update on the MLB-MLBPA labor dispute.
“If we miss spring training, I could see Donald Trump getting involved,’” an owner anonymously told Nightengale, according to the update. “He could say, ‘Gentlemen, enough is enough. I want a deal. And I want it by the end of the week. Or else.’”
The comments underscore the level of concern among some owners about the possibility of a prolonged labor dispute.
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And some players have publicly defended the existing system, even as the owners argue that a salary cap is necessary to improve parity.
“We all see the momentum in our game,” MLBPA executive subcommittee member Chris Bassitt said, according to a news release. “Amazing players and incredible fans. Attendance, viewership, interest — by any measure you want to use, our game is moving in a positive direction. We’ve put forward proposals designed to continue that trend.”
For now, negotiations remain in their early stages. But according to Nightengale's reporting, at least some owners are already considering what could happen if talks extend far enough to threaten spring training and regular-season games in 2027.
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