MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is confident that a new collective bargaining agreement will be executed in time for baseball to be played in 2027.
MLB and the players' union continue to negotiate ahead of the current collective bargaining agreement's Dec. 1 expiration. A work stoppage could take place if the two sides can't come to terms on a new deal.
"We're meeting regularly, which is good," Manfred said of the labor talks during Sunday's broadcast of the Little League Classic. "Every week, we've had days where we've met with the players. It's early, but we've got a lot of work to do, and we're at it."
He added: "Look, our goal is to make a deal. We want to make a deal. We want to play baseball next year. We're planning on playing baseball next year."
The main goal of MLB and its owners during labor talks is to create some form of a salary cap system, while the MLBPA is seeking a number of changes, including increases to the minimum salary of players, less restrictions to the luxury tax threshold, and more support given to the pre-arbitration bonus pool.
Other sticking points between the two sides involve the international draft, television revenue, and service time.
MLB's last lockout came during the 2021-22 offseason. It lasted 99 days, forcing the postponement of Opening Day.
The last time a significant player strike occurred was August 1994. It spanned 232 days and resulted in the cancellation of the World Series for the first time in 90 years.
