Baseball's 2027-31 labor deal
Lockout Watch
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Updated every morning from news reporting. Last update:
Where things stand
Countdown
days until the current deal expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1, 2026
Lockout clock
days since the lockout began. The 2021-22 lockout lasted 99 days.
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The money gap
2027 payroll lines each side has proposed, in millions. MLB's cap and floor include player benefits, roughly $23M per team.
- MLB (owners)
- MLBPA (players)
- Current deal
Minimum salary
Issue by issue
Each side's latest public position. Nearly every MLB offer is conditioned on the union accepting a salary cap.
| Issue | MLB (owners) | MLBPA (players) | Gap |
|---|
While you wait
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Road to Opening Day
Dates that matter for free agency, the deadline and the 2027 season.
Bargaining timeline
Proposals and public moves since talks opened in May, newest first.
Every baseball work stoppage
Length in days, first day to last. The next one would be the 10th since 1972.
- Lockout (owners)
- Strike (players)
Latest coverage
Recent reporting, summarized. Follow the link for the full story.