October 9, 2026 – While Major League Baseball publicly celebrates its postseason this month, the league’s central office is internally laying out exactly what the looming lockout will look like, including a plan to once again scrub player images from the league website and largely ban contact between club officials and players.
Dan Halem, MLB’s deputy commissioner, shared the confidential, 34-page memo to team owners and high-ranking team executives Oct. 1, detailing what club officials should expect, and how they should act, during the work stoppage.
The guidance recommends that teams avoid sending holiday cards to players once the lockout begins, spells out proper etiquette for team staff members attending players’ weddings, and says MLB will not stand in the way if players want to play in Japan or elsewhere during the stoppage. The current collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
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