On Dec. 1, 2026, the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) will expire. While MLB owners and the Players Association will attempt to negotiate a new CBA before then, it is likely that MLB will go into a lockout. This is not a new phenomenon. In fact, MLB had a lockout in 2022 before they came to an agreement on the current CBA.
During a lockout, no free agents can sign with new teams. Winter meetings and the Rule-5 Draft are not held. Essentially, all baseball operations are put on hold, and the upcoming 2027 season is put in jeopardy.
However, before all of that chaos, there is downtime between the end of the World Series and the CBA expiring for MLB teams to handle their own roster decisions. For the Atlanta Braves, they will have to make decisions on their own pending free agents. Moreover, they will have to handle arbitration for players who still have under six years of MLB service time.
Braves Have Key Arbitration-Eligible Pitchers
Arbitration is the chance for players to negotiate their salary for the upcoming season. The number is usually based on their performance from the previous season. Each player will submit a number that represents their salary for the upcoming season. The Braves can choose to match the number or submit a lower number. In that case, an arbitration hearing settles the difference in salary expectations.
Here’s the arbitration salary each Brave is expected to submit:
- Dylan Lee, LHP – $4.2 million
- Bryce Elder, RHP – $4 million
- James Karinchak, RHP – $1.1 million
- Michael Grove, RHP – $1 million
- Joey Wentz, LHP – $900,000
Arbitration hearings do not happen in the event of a lockout. However, Atlanta still has to decide if they want to offer an arbitration-eligible player. If an offer is not submitted, the Braves can non-tender their contracts. Any player whose contract is non-tendered will become a free agent.
Braves Have Club Options For Core Players
Both Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies, the two longest-tenured players on the roster, have club options for the 2027 season. Acuña has repeatedly expressed his desire to be a Brave for the rest of his career. While general manager and president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has yet to offer Acuña an extension, picking up his club option for next season should be a no-brainer.
Albies is the longest-tenured Brave, as he debuted back in 2017. Unless Atlanta has an immediate plan to replace him, it would be hard to envision Albies playing elsewhere. Since 2021, the Braves have lost several key players, including Freddie Freeman, Max Fried and Dansby Swanson. Atlanta cannot afford to lose more core pieces, so would benefit by bringing back Albies and Acuña for the 2027 season.
Acuña’s club option is worth $17 million, and Albies’ club option is worth $7 million for the 2027 season.
With a lockout imminent, it is unclear what will happen between the end of the World Series and Dec. 1, 2026. Front offices across baseball will be scrambling to get as much done as possible before the clock strikes midnight.
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