MLB and the MLBPA disagreeing is nothing new, seeing as both are already in talks for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement to avoid a lockout for the 2027 season.
The latest reported disagreement doesn’t concern next season but rather the 2028 Olympics, set to be hosted in Los Angeles.
Baseball is returning to the Olympics with a six-team tournament to be hosted at Dodger Stadium. The United States, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic have already qualified, but it is now uncertain which players will be available to participate if MLB and the MLBPA can’t come to an agreement.
The current disagreements, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, concern “hotel rooms, tickets and a mandatory-participation agreement.”
MLB’s current plan was to shut down the sport in the middle of the 2028 season for an All-Star break that included the Olympic tournament, giving an unprecedented break in the middle of the season.
The owners are in favor of the players participating, but the MLBPA is reportedly seeking an agreement similar to the deal between the International Olympic Committee, the NHL and the NHLPA to bring professional hockey players back to the sport after a 12-year absence.
Read more.
Read the full article here