MLB teams face tough calls on signings, trades as current labour deal runs out

Major League Baseball teams have tough calls to make this month, as they scramble to get the players they want on their rosters during an off-season that may be truncated amid contentious labour negotiations.

MLB's collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1, at which point a lockout is widely expected. That's because team owners are pushing to change the economic system of their game to limit how much teams can spend on their payrolls. This has received strong opposition from the players.

The two sides appear dug in. They've each amassed large war chests and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has admitted concern that a long work stoppage could be coming.

For now, the league's 30 teams have the rest of November to get their organizations set up for next season, while the existing agreement winds down.

Bruce Meyer, the interim executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, has described the owners' push for a salary cap as a 'nuclear bomb' that will make labour negotiations much more difficult. (Kayla Wolf/The Associated Press)

While organizations will have done their homework on what the next labour agreement could bring, no one knows what the final deal will be until it is reached.

Observers with front office experience say that teams navigating this moment will have to weigh their need to get better against the risk that contracts signed today could carry unforeseen consequences tomorrow.

Dan Duquette, a former baseball executive with three MLB franchises, expects teams may have to temper their spending plans to some extent, given the uncertainty.

"I think teams are going to tighten their belts and take a look at what their critical investments are for next season," he said in an interview with