Major League Baseball Collective Bargaining Agreement — 2026 expiration
MLB CBA
Stakes
The agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on December 1, 2026, and the owners are seeking a salary cap for the first time since 1994. A cap is the one term the union has never accepted in its history, which makes this the least tractable bargaining position in American sports labor. If the parties reach impasse rather than agreement, the mechanics that follow — lockout, status quo, or decertification — are the same ones that produced free agency in every other league.
Details
- Parties
- Major League Baseball, Major League Baseball Players Association
- Expires
- December 1, 2026
- Articles in play
- Article XXVI — Term, Salary cap (proposed), Luxury tax thresholds, Revenue sharing, Service time and early compensation, International draft
Key dates
- Dec 1, 2026 Major League agreement terminates at 11:59 p.m. Eastern (Art. XXVI)
- Feb 9, 2027 (estimated) Spring training workouts scheduled to begin — contingent on labor peace
- Feb 19, 2027 (estimated) Spring training exhibition games scheduled to begin — contingent on labor peace
- Dec 1, 2027 Minor League Uniform Player Contract agreement expires
Timeline
- Apr 30, 2026 Negotiations reported to be commencing, with a salary cap identified as the central issue.
- Sep 4, 2026 MLB released a spring training schedule with workouts beginning February 9 and exhibition games February 19, 2027, reported as contingent on labor peace.
- Sep 4, 2026 Reporting indicates owners have proposed a salary cap for the first time since 1994 and the union has not moved.
- Oct 8, 2026 The Athletic reports MLB sent clubs a confidential 34-page memo on lockout operations, including no business with 40-man roster players and alternate websites without player images. The memo itself is not public.
- Dec 1, 2026 Major League agreement terminates at 11:59 p.m. Eastern (Art. XXVI)
- Oct 8, 2026
The Athletic reports MLB sent clubs a confidential 34-page memo on lockout operations, including no business with 40-man roster players and alternate websites without player images. The memo itself is not public.
Source → - Sep 4, 2026
MLB released a spring training schedule with workouts beginning February 9 and exhibition games February 19, 2027, reported as contingent on labor peace.
Source → - Sep 4, 2026
Reporting indicates owners have proposed a salary cap for the first time since 1994 and the union has not moved.
Source → - Apr 30, 2026
Negotiations reported to be commencing, with a salary cap identified as the central issue.
Source →
The Verdict
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Sources
- MLB–MLBPA Basic Agreement 2022–26, Art. XXVI (Term), printed p. 169CBA
- MLB Players Association press indexLeague statement
- MLBPA frequently asked questions — CBA expirationLeague statement
- Sportico: legal issues in a looming MLB lockoutCourt record
- Fox News: CBA negotiations and the salary cap proposalTeam statement
- Yahoo Sports: bargaining timeline and issuesTeam statement
Reported
- ESPN Sep 5, 2026
- AP (via WTOP) Sep 4, 2026
- Sportico Jul 29, 2026
Compiled from public filings, court records, league statements, and published reporting. Status reflects the last verified date shown on each entry and may not capture subsequent developments. Commentary and analysis, not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed through this content.