MLB Labor Dispute Could Threaten Big League Players’ Olympic Participation in 2028

The newly appointed head of the Major League Baseball Players Association warns that potential work stoppages in 2027 could prevent professional players from competing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Labor negotiations are set to begin this spring as the current contract expires in December.

MIAMI — Major League Baseball’s upcoming labor negotiations could threaten the participation of professional players in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, according to the sport’s newly appointed union leader.

Bruce Meyer, the acting head of the Major League Baseball Players Association, warned that any work stoppage resulting in missed games during the 2027 season would jeopardize current discussions about having big league talent compete in the Olympic baseball tournament.

The players’ association is currently in talks with MLB, the International Olympic Committee, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic organizing committee, and the World Baseball Softball Confederation regarding the six-team tournament. The event is planned for Dodger Stadium from July 13-19, potentially during an extended All-Star break.

Meanwhile, both the league and union are gearing up for contract negotiations beginning in April or May to replace their current five-year deal, which ends December 1. A management lockout is anticipated to commence December 2.

“It can be on a separate track, but I’m sure it will come up in the course of negotiations,” Meyer stated Sunday evening during the World Baseball Classic. “If we’re in a situation where games are being missed in ’27, that could have an impact on playing the Olympics after that.”

Meyer was direct about the consequences of a lost 2027 season, saying it would eliminate big leaguers from the 2028 Olympics.

“If we don’t have a season, we’re not going to play in the Olympics,” he declared.

Major League Baseball has avoided losing regular-season games to labor disputes since 1995.

Several logistical challenges still need resolution before MLB players can participate in the Olympics, including insurance coverage and player accommodations. The World Baseball Classic model splits expenses proportionally among stakeholders, with MLB and the players’ union holding the largest equal shares, while the WBSC, Nippon Professional Baseball, and Korea Baseball Organization maintain smaller ownership stakes.

“The federations involved, the IOC, we still have a lot of issues to work out with the league,” Meyer explained. “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.”

The current player contract guarantees “first-class jet air and hotel accommodations” during the regular season, and players would likely resist staying in typical Olympic dormitory-style housing.

For athletes not participating in the Olympics, officials are exploring options for exhibition games between teams or against minor league affiliates.

Meyer delivered his comments at the Miami Marlins’ loanDepot park before the United States faced the Dominican Republic for a spot in Tuesday’s World Baseball Classic championship game against either Venezuela or Italy.

Saturday night’s quarterfinal saw 34,548 fans witness Venezuela’s surprising 8-5 victory over Japan. In contrast, the Marlins attracted only 1.16 million home attendees last season, ranking 28th among 30 teams, with 29 games drawing fewer than 10,000 spectators.

“In this market, in Miami, you can see the the fan interest in baseball, which unfortunately is perhaps not maximized by the franchise here,” Meyer observed.

Both MLB and the union are exploring exhibition game possibilities during an extended 2028 break for players not competing in the Olympics.

The Dominican Republic and Venezuela have already secured Olympic berths alongside host United States. One Asian team and one European/Oceania team can qualify through November’s WBSC Premier 12 tournament.

A final qualifying competition will occur no later than March 2028, featuring the top two unqualified teams from recent Asia and European championships, plus the highest-ranked unqualified teams from the latest Africa and Oceania championships.

Meyer assumed his acting leadership role last month after Tony Clark’s forced departure. Clark, a former All-Star first baseman who had guided the players since 2013, resigned following an investigation by the union’s external legal counsel that uncovered evidence of an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, a union employee since 2023.