Major League Baseball has given club owners and senior executives a private 34-page guide for operations if players are shut out once the labor contract lapses.
Dan Halem, the deputy commissioner, sent it on October 1, The Athletic reported. The agreement ends December 1. If nothing is signed, major leaguers would be locked out at the start of December 2. Halem said the league still wants a deal with the Players Association, but clubs should prepare in case talks fail.
Anyone on a 40-man roster could not be traded or signed. Staff must keep their distance, because ordinary conversation might cross into banned business. A chance meeting should stay polite and short. Wedding guests from the club may attend if invited, but cannot discuss work. Cards and gifts must be mailed before December 2, and cars left at team sites for the winter have to be retrieved.
Agent contacts would be limited and reviewed, since some agents also represent minor leaguers. Training plans can go out before a stoppage, not after. Clubs should record late-season medical visits to head off injury claims tied to the period before a shutdown.
Player photos and video would be taken off official sites, matching the 2021-22 stoppage, while team shops could still sell named gear under separate licenses.
Players could play winter ball or abroad. Ticket staff would say the club is planning for 2027 and would credit or refund holders if games are canceled.
