13-Year MLB Veteran Shares Concerning Take Ahead Of CBA Negotiations

The MLB could be heading towards a looming lockout following the 2026 season.

The current CBA is set to expire at 11:59 p.m. ET on December 1, 2026, and the two sides exchanged their first offers, and both sides felt like they weren't close to one another.

A big sticking point is the salary cap, as the players don't want a cap, while the owners are pushing towards a cap. What ends up happening with the cap is uncertain, but 13-year MLB veteran Tommy Pham believes the players have already lost a lot of leverage.

"I proposed certain things last CBA, and it was shot down," Pham said on Foul Territory on June 16. "I don't want to dish out the players' problems. I feel like the players lost a lot of leverage, to be dead honest with you. I've been there. I've seen the negotiations after the 2016 season, and after the 2021 season, things were really in the players' hands, really in our favor, and we gave a lot of strength up."

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Pham believes the players have lost leverage in some key areas, including veteran players and how they are seen in the MLB.

The veteran outfielder believes owners want to go younger and are willing to live with mistakes, which has taken jobs away from the veterans who are making more money. So, even though there isn't a salary cap, Pham believes the owners have a way to work around that and cut salary costs anyway.

So, ahead of the CBA negotiations really kicking off in the coming months, Pham believes the players are already behind the 8-ball compared to past negotiations and the leverage they have.

As for Pham, he's currently a free agent after being released by the New York Mets earlier this season, and has since been released from his minor-league deal with the Baltimore Orioles. In his 13-year MLB career, he's appeared in 1250 games, hitting .256 with 149 home runs and 552 RBIs.

MLB Commissioner 'Anxious' To Begin Negotiating

The MLB and MLBPA have both submitted their first offers to one another, and neither offer was well-received by the other party.

Yet, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred believes it is a good starting point for both sides and is eager to continue to negotiate and get a deal done.

"I think that the proposal we've made is grounds for constructive dialogue back and forth with the MLBPA about how we can address the number one concern of our fans, and that is a lack of competitive balance in the game," Manfred said. "We're going to get back to the table, and I hope have productive conversations about the things that are out there already and complete the process. There are a lot of topics we haven't even started on yet. I'm anxious to get back in the room."

The big hold-up in the negotiations is the salary cap, as players have been adamant they won't accept an offer with a cap involved.

So, as the Dec. 1 expiry date gets closer, the possibility of a lockout and missing games becomes more of a reality.

Related: Even President Trump Wants An MLB Salary Cap

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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 4:13 AM.