PALM BEACH, Fla. — With pitchers and catchers set to report for spring training, MLB owners are reconvening to discuss a variety of topics, including labor and media, at their latest Owners’ Meetings, which begin Tuesday and run through Thursday.
The majority of MLB teams have found a home for their local broadcasts in 2026, with the Braves and Angels contemplating the idea of starting their own regional sports networks. The Cardinals, Brewers, Marlins, Rays, Reds, Royals and Tigers have joined MLB’s TV umbrella, making it 13 teams total that have arrangements with the league for production and distribution (D-backs, Guardians, Mariners, Nationals, Padres, Twins). Many of those teams have opted for reach over revenue, at least in the short-term, a stark contrast to the two-time defending champion Dodgers, who average $334M annually from their ironclad deal with Charter through 2038. Whether MLB will control all local rights by 2028, when all the national rights are up, appears to be a tough challenge given the lucrative RSN deals held by a few big-market teams.
This will also mark the first meetings since the Dodgers added LF Kyle Tucker on a four-year, $240M deal, pushing the team past $2B in guaranteed player salaries and further magnifying the gap between the haves and the have nots. At the last Owners’ Meetings in November, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said the league and union were in the beginning stages of informal conversations, with the possibility of a salary cap battle and a lockout looming less than a year from now.
Other topics of interest include the Padres’ sale status (with the possibility of setting a new benchmark for a team transaction), the future of the Rays’ stadium/mixed-use proposal in Tampa, the Royals trying to find a location for their next ballpark, and an update on the A’s ballpark construction in Las Vegas. MLB will also be looking to build on the momentum from last year’s scintillating postseason with the World Baseball Classic from March 5-17.
