Braves: Ken Rosenthal on if the potential lockout will affect the trade deadline

One intriguing aspect that must be considered at this year’s trade deadline is the potential MLB lockout currently threatening the 2027 season.

Almost every notable MLB insider is expecting some form of work stoppage. The two sides appear to be digging in more than ever — owners hellbent on implementing a salary cap, while the players are equally adamant that one will never be an acceptable resolution.

That uncertainty will undoubtedly come up in trade deadline negotiations when discussing players with control beyond this season. Teams will throw out lowball offers citing the possibility of missed games. Eventually one side has to budge, but Ken Rosenthal believes buyers will still ultimately be forced to pay a premium when pursuing players with multiple years of control.

He points specifically to the offseason trades of Brendan Donovan and MacKenzie Gore — both of whom brought back significant hauls despite being under contract through 2027. A pending lockout isn’t a new development. Both sides have been preparing for this for some time, and that didn’t soften the packages the Cardinals and Nationals received.

“Donovan brought the St. Louis Cardinals three prospects in a three-team deal with the Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays,” Rosenthal wrote. “One of them was pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje, the 15th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. The Cardinals also obtained the Nos. 68 and 72 selections in next month’s draft.

“Gore brought the Washington Nationals five prospects from the Texas Rangers, including infielder Gavin Fien, whom The Athletic’s Keith Law ranked No. 76 in his top 100.

“The prospect of missing games next season arose during the Donovan and Gore discussions, according to executives briefed on the conversations. But ultimately, the uncertainty about 2027 had little impact on the returns.”

The idea that a potential lockout could present better buying opportunities for teams like the Braves is fun to imagine — but two things will likely prevent that from happening.

The first is the market. Ever since MLB expanded the postseason to 12 teams, there have been far more buyers than sellers. All it takes is one club to ignore the possibility of a lockout for a seller to get the package they want, and teams focused on winning are generally more concerned with the present than the future. That’s why they’re buying in the first place.

The second, as Rosenthal points out, is that even with the two sides currently so far apart, the odds of the entire 2027 season being wiped out remain slim. Whether 162 games are played next year or 50, a champion will be crowned. And at the end of the day, that’s what all of this is about — winning championships. The Braves are built to do exactly that, and no labor uncertainty should slow down their pursuit of one.

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(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)