MLB Owners Stockpile $2 Billion 'War Chest' Ahead of Looming Lockout

Union expects league-imposed work stoppage as collective bargaining agreement expires

Feb. 27, 2026 at 8:15am

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MLB owners have amassed a reserve fund of approximately $75 million per team — roughly $2 billion total — as they prepare for a potentially extended labor dispute when the current collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1. The league is expected to push for a salary cap, which the MLB Players Association has long opposed, and the union believes a lockout is "all but guaranteed" at the end of the current deal.

Why it matters

A potential lockout could disrupt the 2027 MLB season, the first time regular-season games have been lost to a labor dispute since 1994-95. The standoff between owners and players over issues like a salary cap reflects the ongoing tensions in professional sports leagues over revenue sharing and player compensation.

The details

According to reports, there is near-unanimous sentiment among club owners to pursue a salary cap in the next collective bargaining agreement. One top team executive said, "I have never seen the clubs more united." The MLBPA interim executive director Bruce Meyer said the union is "preparing for a concerted push on the other side for a salary cap" and is "ready for it." Commissioner Rob Manfred has downplayed the possibility of a disruption to the 2027 season, saying his "contingency plan is to make an agreement with the players and play the '27 season."

  • The current collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, 2026.
  • The previous round of bargaining resulted in a 99-day lockout before a deal was reached.

The players

Bruce Meyer

Interim executive director of the MLB Players Association.

Rob Manfred

Commissioner of Major League Baseball.

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What they’re saying

“I think a lockout is all but guaranteed at the end of the agreement. The league has pretty much said that. Their strategy in bargaining has always been to put as much pressure on the players as they can to try and create divisions and cracks among our membership. It's never worked. I don't think it ever will work.”

— Bruce Meyer, Interim executive director, MLB Players Association

“My contingency plan is to make an agreement with the players and play the '27 season.”

— Rob Manfred

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.