Major League Baseball has provided a 34-page guide to team owners and executives outlining how they must conduct themselves if a lockout begins after the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expires on December 1. The memo, sent on October 1, spells out restrictions during the potential work stoppage, including prohibitions on business discussions with players and rules about public communication.
According to The Athletic, the memo makes clear that once a lockout is in place, players and team officials cannot talk business. This extends to limiting contact to casual, non-business conversation if executives and players meet unexpectedly. The document even advises against teams sending holiday cards to players during the lockout unless the cards are mailed before the lockout begins. Executives are allowed to attend players’ weddings during the offseason but must avoid any discussion related to team affairs or contracts.
The league plans to remove all player images and videos from its official website during the lockout, repeating a strategy used in 2021. This includes deleting player photos from profile pages and removing names and pictures from article headlines. The Athletic notes that this digital blackout is part of the league’s effort to minimize player exposure while negotiations stall.
MLB also equipped executives with talking points to address questions about the lockout and ongoing CBA talks. They are instructed to express confidence that the 2027 season will proceed as planned. They may confirm that season-ticket holders will receive refunds or credits if games are canceled due to the labor dispute. Despite this, the memo’s tone centers largely on how to manage the lockout rather than offering optimism about a quick resolution.
The league stated its goal is “to exhaust every realistic option to achieve our goal of reaching an agreement with the Players Association,” though the detailed instructions focus heavily on lockout contingencies rather than negotiation progress. The current CBA expires on December 1, and early signs indicate another lengthy and contentious negotiation process ahead, similar to the last expiration cycle.
As the possibility of canceled games grows, pressure will mount on both MLB and the players’ union to reach a deal to avoid losing the 2027 season. The memo represents MLB’s preparation for what could be months of stalled talks, with strict boundaries on communication between teams and players throughout the lockout period.
According to Yahoo Sports.