MLB is riding on a high note right now. The World Series had the bells and whistles of success, and everything from the TV ratings to the increased ticket sales has baseball back in the limelight after a long time. But now, it seems like this is the high before the low!

Discussions have already begun about the work stoppage after the 2026 season. Jon Heyman expressed his concern and questioned, “Talk about in a year, we’re going to have a work stoppage now? Shouldn’t we be celebrating baseball and not worrying about a work stoppage?”

And Christopher Mad Dog Russo weighed in to warn what lies ahead.

“I think next winter will be a mess. I think you and I will be talking about it, and you’ll be writing about it. You’ll probably miss some spring training. Who knows when that deadline is… probably around, what, March 10? They can’t start it on March 15. But at the end of the day, I still believe both sides realize, ‘We’ve got something good going here. Let’s figure out the competitive aspect of the sport, and let’s see if we can make this work’.”

But he also expressed that he has confidence in Manfred.

“I think I have confidence in Manfred. He’s been in charge here since 95. They have never had a work; they have never lost games.”

He reminded everyone that they had experienced some stoppages with lockouts and more, but never played fewer than 162 games. So, he gives Manfred credit for that.

And there is no lie that Manfred is one of the most revered people for the job.

With the pitch clock and now the ABS, everyone is appreciating what he has done for the sport. However, there is no denying that a looming work stoppage is currently underway. And it has competition at the heart of the debate.

Owners are pushing for a salary cap, citing examples from other leagues. Meanwhile, players are cautious, worried that it might restrict free agency.

However, the small-market teams are fearful of being left behind. Then, teams like the Dodgers simply fuel the debate of the gap between the big market and small market, adding more powerful and expensive players, and winning games.

Right now, Manfred has to balance the optics, the fan experience, and the negotiations. Because no one wants a 1994-1995 strike. It left a sour taste for so many fans. And if the sport suffered this again, there might be no coming back. Because now, the times are different and entertainment options are plenty.

Bryce Harper and his stance on a potential MLB strike

Back in August, Bryce Harper had made headlines when he went nose-to-nose with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred at the clubhouse meeting. The report of him telling Manfred to get out of the clubhouse if he was going to talk about a salary cap went wild.

However, accounts do differ on exactly when it happened.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote that Harper stayed quiet for most of the meeting before confronting Manfred, while the New York Post’s Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman mentioned that it was just minutes into the discussion. Well, either way, Harper clearly felt that the commissioner’s push for a cap was not okay.

According to Passan, Harper told Manfred, “We are not scared to lose 162 games,” and apparently even questioned what the commissioner has ever done to benefit the players.

Manfred later on shared, “I’ve talked labor, and I’ve done it in a way that I don’t think I need to talk to the media about it…I’ve always been very vocal, just not in a way that people can see.”

The clash, for sure, highlights the bigger picture.

The MLBPA is strongly opposed to a salary cap, and owners see this as a way to control costs and also increase parity. MLBPA executive director Tony Clark had called it an “institutionalized collusion” and argued that a cap could limit the players’ salaries and then grow the game.

Much of the debate is still on, and it remains to be seen what will happen. What are your speculations, though?