MLB offseason · Updated November 2, 2026 · By Lynold Rivera
MLB lockout 2026 explained: what it means for free agency, spring training and Opening Day
The agreement that governs how MLB and its players do business expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 1, 2026. Owners are widely expected to lock the players out if there is no new deal by then. Here is what that means, what the two sides disagree on, and what the last lockout tells us about the 2027 season.
What happens on December 1
The collective bargaining agreement, or CBA, sets the rules for contracts, free agency, the luxury tax, the playoff format and much more. When it expires without a replacement, owners can lock the players out. A lockout freezes all major league transactions and everything players do with their clubs: no free agent signings, no trades involving players on 40 man rosters, and no use of team facilities. Minor league moves are not affected.
That makes November a busy month. Free agents could sign with any team from November 2, qualifying offer decisions are due November 17 and the non tender deadline is November 20. Anything not done by December 1 may wait until a new agreement is signed.
What the two sides are fighting over
The biggest issue is a salary cap. The league wants a limit on how much each team can spend on player salaries, arguing it would narrow the gap between big market and small market payrolls. Its first proposal set a 2027 cap of $245.3 million, which would force eight teams to cut a combined $578 million in payroll. The players’ union calls a cap a non starter; its head, Bruce Meyer, described it as “the nuclear bomb of the salary cap.” The league has also floated a shorter regular season, a weekly day off and more postseason games, tied to a cap.
What the last lockout tells us
The 2021 to 2022 lockout began on December 2, 2021, the day after that agreement expired, and ended with a new deal on March 10, 2022, after 99 days. It was the second longest work stoppage in baseball history, behind the 232 day strike of 1994 and 1995. The Winter Meetings and the major league Rule 5 Draft were cancelled, spring training opened about three weeks late, and Opening Day moved back one week to April 7. The league kept a full 162 game season by making up the missed games later in the year with doubleheaders and added dates.
Key dates to watch
- November 9 to 12: Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, Cy Young and MVP announced (Cy Young contenders by the numbers)
- November 17: qualifying offer decisions and the Rule 5 protection deadline
- November 20: non tender deadline
- December 1, 11:59 p.m. ET: the agreement expires
- December 7 to 9: Winter Meetings in San Diego, if they go ahead
- Mid February: pitchers and catchers report under the normal calendar; first spring games February 19
- March 24 and 25, 2027: Opening Day
What it means for Leo
Leo’s MLB model is rebuilt over the winter and returns with the 2027 season, whenever it starts. The 2026 season stays on the site: every team’s games, team by team, and every game page. In the meantime Leo covers the NFL every week and the NBA every night. This page will be updated as talks develop.
Sources: CBS Sports (offseason calendar), The Star (state of talks, October 30, 2026), CBS Sports (2022 schedule after the lockout).