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Legendary sports agent warns MLB lockout would be 'remarkably self-destructive' with CBA set to expire
ReLegendary sports agent warns MLB lockout would be 'remarkably self-destructive' with CBA set to expire
Leigh Steinberg says baseball faces its murkiest environment since the 1994 strike, warning that a lockout over the owners' push for a salary cap could devastate the sport's recent resurgence.
Legendary sports agent Leigh Steinberg is warning that Major League Baseball is heading toward a labor dispute that could undo the sport's recent resurgence, calling the current climate the murkiest the game has faced in decades. With the collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the MLB Players Association set to expire in December, Steinberg said owners appear determined to lock out players and push for a salary cap, a fight he believes would be remarkably self-destructive.
«This is the murkiest environment that baseball's had since they had the strike back in 1994,» Steinberg told OutKick. «Owners seem determined to put in place a salary cap.» He pointed to the Los Angeles Dodgers' blockbuster signings of Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz as the moves that galvanized ownership, comparing the spending spree to the Rams' aggressive approach in the NFL.
Tucker, who signed a four-year, $260 million contract, has struggled in his first season with the Dodgers. In 136 games, the four-time All-Star is hitting just.221 with 12 home runs and 59 RBI, well below his career batting average of.265 and OPS of.836. Díaz, signed to a three-year, $69 million deal to serve as closer, has been limited to 16 games due to elbow and neck injuries, posting an 11.85 ERA in 13 2/3 innings with seven saves. His career ERA stands at 3.06 across 10 major league seasons.
Despite those signings failing to deliver immediate results, Steinberg said owners remain committed to a salary cap while players are vehemently opposed. He warned that a lockout would echo the disastrous 1994 strike, which led to a 40% drop in gross receipts the following year as angry fans abandoned the game. «It took the steroid-fueled home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa and then later Barry Bonds to bring the sport back,» he said. «It would be remarkably self-destructive.»
Steinberg noted that owners cannot credibly claim financial hardship given the sport's current health. «The TV money and attendance and merchandising and fantasy and gambling now. The revenue streams are huge and baseball's had a resurgence,» he said. He urged both sides to see the larger picture, warning that deadlock between billionaires and millionaires could cost the sport dearly.
Preliminary talks have produced proposals from both sides, but no serious progress has been reported. The last lockout, in 2022, lasted 99 days before a new CBA was ratified in March of that year. With owners now seemingly more entrenched on the salary cap issue, there is growing concern that both sides may be willing to sacrifice games to achieve their goals.
Steinberg, inducted into the California Sports Hall of Fame in 2017, has represented a long list of high-profile athletes across football and baseball, including Steve Young, Troy Aikman, Warren Moon, Ben Roethlisberger, Eric Karros, and Dusty Baker. His warning comes as the regular season winds down and the postseason approaches, with the sport's labor uncertainty casting a shadow over the playoffs.
