Do you really think it’s going to happen?
There was an article yesterday in the Athletic about the payroll disparity between the Dodgers and the Marlins, highlighted due to the fact that they are facing off this week in Los Angeles. From the article:
The discussion of the spending imbalance only figures to intensify as the clock ticks on the collective bargaining agreement, which expires after next season. Officials from both MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association have predicted another bruising standoff similar to the owner-initiated lockout following the 2021 season. The tenor of the negotiations may depend on the owners’ willingness to push for a salary cap, the sort of floor-ceiling structure that would compel a team like the Marlins to spend more while forcing a team like the Dodgers to spend less.
The idea that there will be a lockout is so prevalent that at this point, it feels more like a formality that it will happen rather than a possibility. The lockout of the players during spring training is the most likely scenario, but what about lost games? It brings us to our question of the day: will there be regular season games lost to any kind of lockout if one happens to occur? For me, I feel like when push comes to shove, yes there will be a lockout during spring, but the owners will not want to miss any actual games. If they’re already talking about lost money due to the pandemic, they won’t want to lose games and the all around income they bring in.
We’ll see.