It appears almost inevitable that Major League Baseball will be facing a lockout in 2027. Things pointed in that direction on Tuesday as Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark resigned, due to an investigation against him. Following that news, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke out about a possible upcoming labor dispute in MLB.

“All I can tell you is, I want to play baseball, and I hope that the two sides do come together in the end because I think we're at an awesome time in our game. I think the popularity of it is strong. Hopefully both sides realize that and there's a middle ground that everyone can come to, to where everyone's benefiting because we don't want to see this game go away for an extended period,” Boone said Tuesday, per the New York Daily News.

Clark was part of a team that was negotiating with owners and MLB leaders regarding a new collective bargaining agreement. One point of contention is a possible salary cap. The MLBPA doesn't want a salary cap in baseball.

That is in stark contrast to what the MLB owners want. MLB owners have expressed their concerns about a small number of teams spending exorbitant amounts to sign players.

The Yankees are actually one of those teams. New York is notoriously known for having a large payroll. This offseason, the Bronx Bombers used that payroll to re-sign Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt.

MLB has an uncertain future after the 2026 season

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A detailed view of a New York Yankees hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at Truist Park.
Brett Davis-Imagn Images.

MLB owners and the players' union are set to spend the next months trying to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. With Clark gone, his replacement at the MLBPA will be tasked with leading those negotiations.

Boone meanwhile will have his Yankees to focus on as those talks continue. New York is hoping to return to the postseason in 2026, for the third consecutive year. The Yankees made the 2024 World Series, but lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers. New York bowed in the ALDS in 2025, to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Spring training games begin for the Yankees on Friday. New York takes on the Baltimore Orioles.