Leigh Steinberg warns MLB lockout could cripple baseball as CBA expires
Sports agent Leigh Steinberg says a lockout before the December CBA deadline would be highly damaging to baseball.
Leigh Steinberg told reporters the MLB-MLBPA collective bargaining agreement expires in December and owners are poised to lock out players. He called the environment "murkiest" since the 1994 strike, pointing to the Dodgers' high-value deals for Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz as catalysts for owners' salary-cap demands. Steinberg highlighted Tucker’s modest.221 average and Díaz’s injury-limited 11.85 ERA as underwhelming returns on those contracts.
He warned that a lockout would echo the 1994 season, where gross receipts fell 40% and fan interest waned, only recovering after a home-run surge. Steinberg argued that current revenue streams—from TV, attendance, merchandising, fantasy sports, and gambling—are strong, making a work stoppage especially harmful. He cautioned that billionaire owners and wealthy players must see the bigger picture to avoid a deadlock that could damage the sport.
Why it matters
A lockout could halt games, hurt revenues and alienate fans just as baseball enjoys a financial resurgence.
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