John Smoltz Warns MLB Cannot Afford Work Stoppage as CBA Negotiations Loom

John Smoltz, the Atlanta Braves legend and Baseball Hall of Famer, has publicly warned that a work stoppage would be damaging to a sport currently enjoying significant growth in popularity. The CBA between MLB and the MLBPA expires after the 2026 season, and negotiations are expected to be lengthy and contentious. MLB's formal counter-proposal, released in late May, included a salary cap and salary floor, which the MLBPA has long opposed; no further formal proposals have been exchanged since. MLB argued that the union's initial proposal would actually worsen payroll disparity, citing that it would reduce luxury tax payments from high-spending clubs like the Dodgers. Smoltz acknowledged a competitive balance problem in baseball, noting that roughly 8 to 10 teams make no serious effort to compete, but questioned whether a salary cap alone would fix the issue, pointing to the persistence of 'super teams' in the NBA despite that league's cap system. He also highlighted that 2% of players earn 98% of the money and that careers are shortening, squeezing veterans out of the game. The sport's current momentum — including a 44% viewership increase for exclusive national games and Game 7 of the 2025 World Series drawing an average of 51 million combined viewers across the U.S., Canada, and Japan — makes the stakes of a potential stoppage particularly high.