Topline
Major League Baseball is expected to enter a lockout when its current collective bargaining agreement expires Wednesday at 11:59 p.m., possibly marking the first work stoppage in major American sports in eight years, evoking memories of the frequent labor disputes that clouded the MLB from the 1970s to 1990s.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred will likely lead baseball through its first work … [+]
Key Facts
There have been eight work stoppages in MLB history, only three of which resulted in missed games and all of which occurred between 1972 and 1995.
A 232-day player strike from August 1994 to April 1995 caused the MLB to cancel its 1994 postseason, while the 1972 and 1981 strikes resulted in 13 and 50-day in-season stoppages.
The National Hockey League has also contended with frequent labor disputes, as a 309-day lockout caused the cancellation of the entire 2004-05 season, while 103-day and 119-day lockouts in 1995 and 2012-2013, respectively, both led to shortened seasons.
The National Football League has largely avoiding missed games due to labor disputes, but it has had its fair share of drama: A player strike shortened the 1987 season by one game but famously featured replacement players for a portion of the year, and a 136-day lockout in 2011 ended just before the start of the regular season.
The National Basketball Association has had four work stoppages, two of which—a 191-day lockout from 1998-99 and a 161-day lockout in 2011—caused shortened seasons with no postseason cancellation.
Key Background
Though the MLB and its players’ union are currently negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement to avoid a lockout, ESPN reported Monday discussions are “going nowhere fast.” Lockouts are stoppages that occur when owners initiate the dispute, while strikes happen when players bring about the stoppage. The primary disagreement between owners and players this time is about the MLB’s complicated salary structure and often lengthy path to free agency. Players are seeking to change the MLB’s controversial policy that requires six years of league service time before reaching free agency—which teams have long been accused of manipulating for their own benefit—while owners largely want to retain the status quo.
Tangent
Players and teams alike are rushing to reach deals in free agency at a historic pace this November, as active MLB players are ineligible to sign with a new team during a lockout. Among the reported blockbuster agreements is the most lucrative deal on an average annual basis in MLB history: A three-year, $130 million contract signed by star pitcher Max Scherzer to join the New York Mets.
Further Reading
Is an MLB lockout coming? Will free agency freeze? Jeff Passan answers 20 burning questions (ESPN)
Rob Manfred says offseason MLB lockout different than one that cancels games; ‘Time is becoming an issue’ (The Athletic)
