As a die-hard Yankees fan, it pains me to admit it, but the Los Angeles Dodgers are simply incredible. From having a star-studded lineup to now advancing to their second straight World Series after sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS, one can’t help but admire their recent dominance.[1]
However, the Dodgers’ recent successes have highlighted some massive issues surrounding the MLB that the league can no longer put off. Simply put, with big market teams like the Dodgers having payrolls up to 100 million dollars more than other teams, the issue of a salary cap in the MLB is as hot as it’s ever been.[2] And with the MLB CBA expiring after the 2026 season, baseball’s next great crisis seems to be a matter of when, not if.[3]
In light of the disparity in payrolls, the central issue surrounding the impending lockout is the leagues’ desire to implement a salary cap. Many of the owners, especially those in smaller markets, have grown increasingly frustrated while large market teams assemble super teams year in and year out. From the owners’ perspective, the implementation of a salary cap would preserve both competition within the league and the value of franchises across the board. Owners also point out that a salary cap is entirely feasible, as all other major sports leagues like the NFL, the NBA, and the NHL have implemented caps .
On the other hand, the players, as represented by the MLBPA, are starkly against the implementation of the salary cap, as it would significantly limit earning potential.[4] As both sides seem unwilling to budge, a lockout is likely if things don’t change.
And despite several owners openly upset with big market teams, that has not stopped the Dodgers from leaning into the villain role, as Dave Roberts, after winning the National League Pennant, infamously exclaimed, ““Before the season started, they said the Dodgers are ruining baseball…Let’s get four more wins and really ruin baseball.”[5] Roberts’s comments seem to validate the concerns of the owners seeking a salary cap, because if the Dodgers can openly bully the small market teams by taking advantage of the absence of a salary cap, it seems that a lockout is almost certainly coming to level the playing field.
[1] Connor Dullinger, Ohtani Powered Dodgers Defeat Brewers to Advance to World Series, Los Angeles Magazine (October 20, 2025)
[2] Roster Resource – Payroll Breakdown, FanGraphs (October 21, 2025)
[3] Ian Casselberry, MLB players union expects lockout by team owners after CBA expires following 2026 season, Yahoo Sports (March 1, 2025)
[4] Jeff Passan, MLB labor: How fight over salary cap will shape negotiations, ESPN (September 18, 2025)
[5] James Williams, Dave Roberts to Dodgers’ haters: Team ready to ‘really ruin baseball’, USA Today (October 18, 2025)
Blake Breidenstein is a third year law student at the University at Buffalo School of Law who has spent much of his law school career studying how the law intertwines with the sports and entertainment industry. Throughout his time in law school, Breidenstein has supported the university's compliance office, working alongside a supervising attorney and staff in ensuring compliance with the ever-changing rules governing collegiate athletics. As a lifelong baseball player, Blake focuses much of his writing on the MLB, although his Buffalo roots occasionally turn his focus towards the Bills and Sabres.
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