#mlbpa-investigation

#mlbpa-investigation

During Saturday's game between the Red Sox and the Reds, Eugenio Suarez challenged Bucknor on back-to-back strike three calls and successfully had them overturned by the robo ump. It doesn't matter that Suarez ultimately grounded out. What matters is that, in a game where the Reds hit two home runs, the loudest cheers came for a pair of successful ABS challenges.

Between now and then, the league needs to hold a two-team expansion draft for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, more than 100 unrestricted free agents need to sign contracts, and the 2026 rookies need to be drafted to their teams. Most importantly, the league and players need to agree on a collective bargaining agreement -- a process 15 months in the making.

Many in the industry expect a lockout and some even worry about the potential for lost games in 2027. Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of The New York Post report that the league has put aside a war chest of about $2 billion, roughly $75MM per team, from a central fund to help weather a potentially lengthy stoppage. The MLBPA has made similar preparations but the report doesn't provide specifics for that side.