In this week's guest article , fellow journalism member Michael Adams will be breaking down everything you need to know about the current MLB lockout.

The MLB Lockout

By: Michael Adams

If you’re a fan of baseball, you’ll know that there is a work stoppage happening in the MLB right now. There are two reasons as to why this would be happening. There is the possibility of there being a player strike, which is where the players refuse to play, and the other is a lockout. The lockout is where management refuses to let the players work. This time around, the stoppage is a lockout. This is the first work stoppage in the MLB since the player strike in 1994-1995.

Knowing what the lockout is, there’s still the question of why it’s happening. The reasoning is because a new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) has not been made. Without it, owners will not permit teams to play during the lockout. Without the CBA in place, both owners and players are hesitant to do much; with the owners having initiated the lockout, they have the leverage to get players to bend more easily. If it were a strike, players would have the upper hand and it would not be good for owners or management.

Currently, the fight is over player salaries. With players constantly wanting more money, with the more experience that they get, it’s not surprising that this is what an argument would be over. They especially want more money due to the average player salary declining over time. There are other discussions as well, including service-time manipulation, and a “tanking” problem. Another problem is the younger players. The union is fighting for them to be paid more money based on their on field value.

This leaves the question: when will the lockout be over? While there is no guaranteed date or time as to when the lockout will end, it is likely that it will be over by the time the next season starts. If not, then everyone loses money; without games being played, neither the owners nor the players will receive payment. While they already do not receive money during the off season, it is best to finish the lockout before the new season begins. If the lockout lasts too long, it will affect spring training, which can greatly affect player performance.