MLB sends memo to owners, executives outlining how they should act, operate during upcoming lockout

The most exciting time in the baseball season is here, but MLB is already focused on the upcoming lockout. In preparation for the expiration of the collective-bargaining agreement (CBA), the league reportedly sent a 34-page memo to owners and executives on Oct. 1 detailing how those individuals should act and operate during the lockout, per The Athletic.

If a lockout is initiated, teams and players are prohibited from discussing business. This often means players and team executives are unable to converse while there's no new CBA in place.

That will once again be the case this time around, as the memo urged against teams sending holiday cards to players ... unless they send them before the lockout. Team executives are permitted to attend player weddings over the offseason, but cannot talk business with any players there.

If team executives happen to run into a player unexpectedly, those executives are allowed to "be cordial" in conversations with the player.

Additionally, the league's website will once again remove videos and player images during the lockout, per The Athletic. That includes altering articles and headlines.

"Player images (including from their profile pages) and videos would be removed, and player names and pictures would be removed from article headlines."

The league took the same tactic in 2021.

MLB also sent along talking points executives should use when asked about the lockout or the upcoming CBA negotiations. As far as the 2027 season is concerned, executives were told to communicate they expected the season to go off as planned. They were also told they can communicate that season-ticket holders will be credited or refunded if games are canceled.

While all of that sounds ominous, the league did say its ultimate goal was "to exhaust every realistic option to achieve our goal of reaching an agreement with the Players Association." That messaging might ring hollow in a document that largely focuses on what to do once a lockout is in place, however.

Any hope of a deal coming together before the expiration of the current CBA on Dec. 1 seems low. Much like the last time the CBA expired, both the league and its players are expected to engage in a lengthy, contentious negotiation that will likely span months after the current CBA expires.

Once the threat of canceled games becomes more real, both sides will feel more pressure to come to a deal so the 2027 season is not lost.