Bryce Harper is already predicting a complete shutdown in 2027. His teammate Garrett Stubbs, however, believes the situation could play out differently. The countdown to another MLB labor war has already begun, and the league's biggest concern may be that its players are no longer willing to back down. While Philadelphia Phillies star Harper has made his pessimism clear, backup catcher Stubbs has offered a different perspective, challenging the growing certainty surrounding baseball's next labor battle.
While the salary cap remains a non-negotiable issue for the MLBPA, Stubbs believes a year-long lockout can still be avoided. However, his comments also suggest that missing games remains a real possibility if MLB refuses to reconsider its salary cap proposal.
"I think it would be moronic to not have a season next year or miss a substantial amount of games because of the health of where we're at as a league," Phillies Tailgate quoted Stubbs . "So we'll see where Manfred and his team decide to land come December 2nd and on. But yeah, I see some games getting missed this year because of where they stand on this salary cap idea."
So, while Stubbs is hopeful about avoiding a year-long lockout, he is putting the onus on the MLB commissioner to resolve the issue.
MLB proposed a $245.3 million hard cap. Team owners argue it is necessary for competitive balance, cost certainty, and mitigating astronomical payroll disparities between big-market and small-market teams. However, per MLBPA, the salary cap artificially suppresses total player salaries and market freedom.
MLB proposed a $171.2 million spending floor. The league claims this will force lower-spending teams to invest heavily in their rosters and stay competitive. In contrast, the MLBPA believes the floor does not offset the lost earnings caused by the cap. They argue that the overall package would dramatically reduce player compensation across the board.
The 33-year-old also made it clear that he is not moving away from his earlier stance about the salary cap. While Stubbs' statement was more subtle than Harper's, it made clear that next year's lockout depends on whether MLB sticks with its salary cap proposal.
Previously, Harper hinted at a potential year-long lockout in 2027 when responding to a question on TikTok. Now, Stubbs shared his concern about missing a few games. MLB could lose at least a few games in 2027, with the possibility of a much longer interruption still looming.
"I think the game's in a great spot right now with a lot of people tuned in, a lot of popularity, a lot of great players out there. It would obviously be a shame if we miss time. But we'll have plenty of time this offseason to talk about it," Christian Yelich said.
The 2026 MLB Postseason averaged 5.49 million viewers, excluding in-stadium attendance. While that marked a 13% decline from 2025's average of 6.33 million, it was still the most-watched postseason since 2019. A prolonged lockout could put that momentum at risk, potentially hurting the league's popularity when baseball returns.
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The post "Moronic to Not Have a Season Next Year": Phillies 33YO Star Makes Feelings Clear Over MLB's Impending Lockout appeared first on EssentiallySports . Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
