Major League Baseball (MLB) players have a path to participate in the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Olympic baseball games, but labor negotiations are hitting roadblocks.
ESPN reported on Wednesday that while MLB team owners have given the green light for players to compete in the 2028 Olympics, disagreements persist with the players’ union over accommodation support, ticket allocation, and mandatory participation clauses.
MLB, the players’ union, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the organizing committee, and the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) are in ongoing discussions about big leaguers’ Olympic participation.
However, labor and management have been at odds over Olympic participation for months, with little progress in bridging their differences.
Bruce Meyer, executive director of the MLB Players Association, stressed that while players are generally eager to compete in the Olympics, they require Major League-caliber treatment in terms of accommodations and transportation.
Baseball, which returned as an Olympic sport after the 2020 Tokyo Games held in 2021, is set to take place from July 13 to 19, 2028, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.
Six teams will vie for gold, with the host United States, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic already securing spots. The remaining three berths will be determined through the 2027 WBSC Premier12 and Olympic qualifiers.
Despite the MLB season being in full swing during this period, the league office maintains that big leaguers’ Olympic participation is feasible. The plan is to wrap up the first half of the 2028 MLB season on July 9, hold the All-Star Game on July 11, and resume the second half on July 20, the day after the Olympic baseball final.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred explained that they’re all in on the 2028 LA Olympics because it’s a unique opportunity to showcase baseball globally through the top talent.
However, several hurdles remain before MLB players can take the Olympic diamond, with labor negotiations at an impasse.
The MLB Players Association is pushing for treatment similar to the agreement reached between the IOC, National Hockey League (NHL), and NHL Players’ Association for the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics.
While the organizing committee offers two tickets per game for Olympic participants, the MLB union is seeking additional tickets for players’ families and friends. They’re also advocating for top-tier accommodations.
A more contentious issue is the mandatory participation clause.
This regulation aims to ensure stars like Shohei Ohtani (Japan), Aaron Judge (USA), and Fernando Tatis Jr. (Dominican Republic) can grace the Olympic stage without the option to decline.
The MLB office proposes that players refusing Olympic participation be placed on the restricted list from July 12 to August 3, forfeiting pay and service time for that period.
The Players Association has pushed back, arguing that the penalties for players opting out of the Olympics are overly punitive.