Major League Baseball’s leading insider believes United States President Donald Trump could potentially step in to help resolve what looks like an impending lockout, but not everyone is happy to hear that.
MLB’s current collective bargaining agreement is scheduled to expire in December, meaning MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) will have to negotiate a new agreement before the 2027 season begins if they want to avoid a lockout.
There are several possible ways the situation could unfold, but MLB insider Jeff Passan believes there is a legitimate chance that Trump could become involved in the negotiations.
‘It’s a possibility’
During a recent appearance on The Max Mannis Podcast, Passan was asked about the upcoming negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA, as well as whether a World Series victory by a smaller-market team could have an effect on the process.
Although Passan did not completely dismiss the potential impact of that outcome, he suggested that government involvement could ultimately play a much bigger role than anything that happens on the field.
“I think if there’s anything that would have a demonstrable effect, it would be Washington, D.C.,” Passan said on the podcast. “Does, or how much, does President Trump get involved? Are there hearings on Capitol Hill about this? Is there going to be any kind of litigation that could wind its way up to the Supreme Court as it did in 1995?”
“To me, this is much more of a political-class thing having an effect than I think the working class will,” he continued.
When Mannis followed up by asking Passan if he believed government intervention was actually possible, Passan pointed to Trump’s previous remarks on the subject and his willingness to involve himself in sports.
“It’s a possibility just because you’ve got a president who has publicly stated that he thinks baseball should have a salary cap who likes involving himself in sports,” Passan said.
Trump supports a salary cap
As Passan noted, Trump has openly voiced his support for a salary cap in MLB, previously arguing that the league should have implemented one “a long time ago.”
“If you don’t have a salary cap, you don’t have a sport. Because they can’t help themselves. You know, in sports they can’t help themselves,” Trump said back in June. “They should have done it a long time ago.”
While Trump has made his position on the matter clear, it remains uncertain whether he will actually play a role in the negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA in the coming months, though Passan clearly thinks it’s a possibility.
Fans Not Amused
The possibility of Trump getting involved with these negotiations did not necessarily go over well with fans.
“Easiest way to know a salary cap is total ass,” wrote Justin Havens of the Baseball is Dead podcast.
“Every Sunday he will announce they are close to a deal and the next day he will bomb Yankee Stadium,” wrote prominent New York Mets fan Wes, mocking Trump’s failed negotiations with Iran.
“That’s not very small government of him,” wrote Adam K of Prospects Live.
“About time this guy started focusing on and fixing the real issues,” wrote Drew of the Zone32 podcast.
“Just what we needed,” wrote MLB data visualization analyst Past The Eye Test.
We’ll have to see whether or not Trump ultimately does decide to involve himself with the negotiations.
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