*Major League Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement won’t expire until Dec. 1, 2026, but it won’t be long before the industry begins feeling the impact of a lockout that already feels all but certain.

Could the prospect of a work stoppage in another 13 months dictate how teams behave and spend this offseason? Most certainly. In past seasons, some free agents have agreed to one-year deals with an eye toward rebuilding value and returning to the open market in another year. You’ll see very little of that this time around, since no player will want to go into the nuclear winter of 2026-2027 without a deal in place.

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