It hasn't happened in 21 years—a lockout that shuts down Major League Baseball. However,
this might be the year that talks break down between baseball owners and the players' union. A new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is due to be signed on December 1—
a week from tomorrow. Negotiations have been extremely slow and owners are sending signals that unless agreement is reached on a host of issues—particularly
free-agency draft-pick compensation and the
international draft—a shutdown could happen. This all may be owner bluster, but it also might be a test of new Commissioner
Rob Manfred's resolve. Stay tuned—you may be watching AAA ball in April.
