The offseason for baseball just got a lot more complicated. With a possible lockout coming in 2026, MLB teams have a tough choice: spend a lot of money on free agents now or wait and save money. Some owners are afraid that baseball will stop again, like it did in 2022. The outcome? The front offices are stuck because they are afraid that every choice could change their season.

MLB analyst and insider Jim Bowden, speaking on Foul Territory X, articulated how this uncertainty manifests across franchises with starkly different approaches. “There are going to be several GMs that are not going to pay any attention to it, like the San Francisco Giants, the Boston Red Sox,” Bowden explained. “New York Yankees got off the payroll, they’re going to go spend them.”This difference in how people spend money shows real business worries that come from the history of labor.

The lockout of 2021–22 lasted about 99 days and pushed back the start of the season, which caused financial ruin for players and operational chaos for organizations. Teams that went through that are now rightfully worried about 2026. This has led some ownership groups to be careful with their spending, while aggressive competitors take advantage of teams’ hesitation.

“We’re going to have 27 be the AAV,” Bowden noted, capturing the contentious dynamic. “We’re not going to pay you more money because there might be a work stoppage. So that could be a negotiating problem at some point.” Bowden said that agents who represent top talent, especially those with several elite free agents, will work hard to get protections, which will make negotiations even more difficult.

The structural complexity goes beyond just spending patterns. Agents, especially Scott Boras, who works for clients like Kyle Tucker and Pete Alonso, actively look for contract designs that take into account possible lost wages during a work stoppage. The main point of these talks now is whether players should sign backloaded contracts that push their pay to 2027–2030 to protect against the risk of a lockout, or whether teams should guarantee players an average annual value no matter what happens with labor.

Yankees to target Nick Martinez as lockout fears grip MLB

While many franchises are stuck in limbo because of uncertainty, aggressive teams like the Yankees won’t let labor issues stop them from making moves. The New York Yankees have already made room in their budget for payroll and plans to spend a lot of money. One name that is getting a lot of attention is a pitcher who is perfect for the role that New York really needs to fill right now.

MLB Trade Rumors said that the Yankees should go after veteran right-hander Nick Martinez this offseason. The pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds has the kind of flexibility that baseball needs these days.”Martinez has spent the past four years as baseball’s ultimate swingman,” MLB Trade Rumors noted. “He’s capable of decent results as a back-end starter or as a high-leverage reliever.”

Last season with Cincinnati is a great example of how he can be a dual threat. He pitched 165⅔ innings overall with a 4.45 ERA, but the split is very important. “That included a 4.72 ERA in 26 starts and a 2.61 ERA in 14 relief appearances,” showing where Martinez truly excels.

A $25 million, two-year deal would quickly meet New York’s needs. Since Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón are dealing with injuries early in the season, Martinez could take their place in the rotation and pitch important innings. When the aces are back in good health, he moves easily to high-leverage bullpen work, where he is at his best. Not many pitchers can handle that duality well, but Martinez has done it by consistently producing.

For a Yankees team that is dealing with injuries and depth issues, getting such versatility is the kind of bold move that sets aggressive teams apart from those that are too scared of a lockout to make any moves.