MLB Owners Reportedly 'Prepared to Cancel Games' in 2027 If Players Maintain Anti-Salary Cap Stance

MLB owners and players are reportedly both willing to sacrifice games during the 2027 season should the other side refuse to budge on their stance regarding a salary cap.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, owners are "prepared to cancel games," but they are not alone.

All of the players who spoke anonymously to Passan said unanimously that if the MLB owners continue to push for a salary cap, they would be "willing to lose games" as well.

It has long been established that MLB owners are looking to implement a salary cap in the next collective bargaining agreement after the current one expires in December.

Not surprisingly, the players are against it since it potentially caps earning potential with every team having a spending ceiling.

Per Passan, the Major League Baseball Players Association has "no plans" to engage the owners on a salary cap, and it is not believed the two sides will attempt to find common ground until a deadline is imposed.

That deadline is reportedly likely to come in March since that is when the possibility of losing games from the 2027 schedule will start to become real.

There have long been calls for a salary cap in order to level the playing field across MLB.

Big-market teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, New York Mets and a handful of others are willing to spend, while teams like the Cleveland Guardians, Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates typically lag far behind.

According to Spotrac, the Mets have the highest payroll in MLB this season at over $328 million, while the Guardians are at the bottom of the league at less than $75 million.

The Dodgers, who have the second-highest payroll at over $301 million, have won back-to-back World Series and signed countless big-time free agents along the way, creating concerns about league parity.

While the highest-spending teams likely would have to spend less in a salary cap world, it would likely also force the lowest-spending teams to spend more in order to reach a cap floor.

That means more teams could be vying for the services of free agents than there are within the current landscape, but it is clear that the players would prefer for there to be no restrictions and no limit to their earning potential.