The day of reckoning is coming in Major League Baseball, and most teams and players appear ready to take any and all necessary measures to insulate themselves from the pain that's on the horizon.
The oft-discussed 2027 lockout hovers over everything like a plague. There is simply no escaping the economic tide-shift that will emerge from what is sure to be long, drawn-out negotiations that appear all but guaranteed to delay (or eliminate part of) the 2027 MLB season.
Ignoring the implications that'll have on the fans themselves -- the millionaires vs. billionaires discussion is going to drown out quite a lot of other baseball noise -- it's important to note that teams need to prepare their payrolls and spending habits now for whatever rules and regulations may exist once the new Collective Bargaining Agreement is finally ratified.