MLB: Bruce Meyer continues to prepare for a potential 2027 lockout

News for the 2027 season for the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and the other 28 baseball organizations continues to look bleak as the new executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), Bruce Meyer, makes his rounds during spring training.

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On Sunday, Meyer met with the Detroit Tigers and continued to prepare players for a potential lockout in 2027.

“The league has pretty much already said there’s going to be a lockout,” Meyer said to the Tigers. “I think the commissioner (Rob Manfred) more or less guaranteed it. I would be shocked if they didn’t do a lockout when the agreement expires. Having said that, as I’ve said in the past many times, we’ll start negotiating not long after Opening Day, and we’ll be ready to meet wherever and whenever and bargain in good faith. If there’s a way to avoid it and get a fair deal for the players, we’re always looking to do that. I think the expectations of a lockout upon the expiration of this agreement are very high — almost guaranteed.”

Bruce Meyer said a salary cap would be bad for players

“Our position, both historically and now, is pretty clear. This union, and every executive director of this union, has always been of the view that it’s bad for players, and for that reason, historically, we’ve been opposed to it. I don’t see any reason to change our view on that subject. It’s a subject I can and have gotten into at great length, but at the end of the day, the owners want it — not because it’s good for players, but it’s good for them. That’s always been the position of this union. We have a legal duty to consider anything they propose, and whatever they propose, we will evaluate it and report to our players. The fundamental nature of a salary cap is bad for players on multiple levels, so that’s always been our view.”

Owners — in particular in smaller TV markets — pushed the idea of a salary cap, which is a sticking point for players. An idea of a $280 million cap was out there, which would cause five major league organizations to shed payroll to meet the cap: the Los Angeles Dodgers ($381.6 million), the New York Mets ($368.7 million), the New York Yankees ($329.6 million), the Philadelphia Phillies ($311.2 million), and the Toronto Blue Jays ($300.3 million.

The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox would not be affected by a salary cap either way

Neither the Cubs nor the White Sox would benefit from a salary cap, as the Cubs enter 2026 with a payroll of $240.9 million, and the White Sox $101.5 million. However, the White Sox would be affected by a floor, which always comes with a cap, with a proposed floor of $140-$160 million.

The Cubs and White Sox spent big this winter, with the Cubs breaking open the checkbook for All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman (five-year, $175 million) and the White Sox signing Japanese slugger first baseman/designated hitter Munetaka Murakami (two-year, $34 million). But the White Sox would need to give out at least two contract extensions or sign one major free agent to meet the floor requirement if there were a salary cap.

The two sides (MLBPA and MLB) can reach an agreement before the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expires on Dec. 1, 2026.

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