A potential work stoppage canceling games in the 2027 Major League Baseball season threatens plans for big league players to compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Negotiations involve Major League Baseball, the International Olympic Committee, the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the World Baseball Softball Confederation for a six-nation baseball tournament at Dodger Stadium from July 13-19, aligning with an extended All-Star break.
Labor Talks Loom Large
Bargaining for a new labor contract begins in April or May, replacing the current five-year deal that expires December 1. A management lockout appears likely to start December 2. Major League Baseball has not lost regular-season games to a labor dispute since 1995.
Acting union head Bruce Meyer addressed the issue at the World Baseball Classic. “It can be on a separate track, but I’m sure it will come up in the course of negotiations,” Meyer stated. “If we’re in a situation where games are being missed in ’27, that could have an impact on playing the Olympics after that.” He added, “If we don’t have a season, we’re not going to play in the Olympics.”
Ongoing Challenges for Olympic Participation
Insurance and player accommodations remain key hurdles. At the World Baseball Classic, costs split proportionally among stakeholders, with MLB and the players’ union holding equal major shares, alongside minority stakes from the World Baseball Softball Confederation, Nippon Professional Baseball, and the Korea Baseball Organization.
“The federations involved, the IOC, we still have a lot of issues to work out with the league,” Meyer noted. “I don’t have any reason to believe that that’s going to be a significant impediment in any way, but we still do have a lot of issues to be worked out, pretty much everything other than the qualifying—issues like insurance, transportation, and a whole variety of issues… Housing, lodging, security is all still under discussion.”
Players expect first-class jet air and hotel accommodations per their labor contract, avoiding typical Olympic dormitory-style lodging. For non-participating players, exhibition games against other teams or minor league affiliates are under consideration during the extended 2028 break.
Tournament Qualification and Venue Notes
Meyer spoke on the field at loanDepot park in Miami before the U.S. faced the Dominican Republic for a spot in the WBC final. The Dominican Republic and Venezuela have qualified alongside host U.S., with one team each from Asia and Europe/Oceania advancing from November’s WBSC Premier12 tournament. A final qualifier by March 2028 includes top non-qualified teams from recent continental championships.
In Miami, a crowd of 34,548 watched Venezuela’s 8-5 quarterfinal upset over Japan. The Marlins drew 1.16 million fans at home last year, ranking 28th among 30 teams with 29 crowds under 10,000. “In this market, in Miami, you can see the fan interest in baseball, which unfortunately is perhaps not maximized by the franchise here,” Meyer observed.
Union Leadership Transition
Meyer stepped up as acting union head last month after Tony Clark, a former All-Star first baseman who led players since 2013, resigned. An investigation by outside counsel uncovered evidence of Clark’s inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, a union employee since 2023.
