Former World Series champion Nick Swisher said a potential Major League Baseball lockout that owners are expected to begin Dec. 1 could “absolutely” cause games to be missed next season, Fox News reported Oct. 10, 2026.
Fox News reported the sides are sharply divided over a proposed salary cap: owners are pushing for a cap while the MLB Players Association opposes it. The outlet said a lockout is “all but guaranteed” to begin Dec. 1 if the parties do not reach agreement.
Swisher told OutKick that he heard language from both the players’ union and the commissioner’s office that made a lockout seem likely, and he pointed to recent collective bargaining history and leadership changes in the MLBPA after Tony Clark resigned in February and Bruce Meyer took over.
Swisher said he hopes both sides negotiate in good faith. “I think at the end of the day, man, I’m praying that everything gets itself back on track come the end of the season because I wouldn’t wanna slow this train down,” he told OutKick, Fox News reported.
Speaking to OutKick and cited by Fox News, Swisher described baseball as “absolutely crushing” with revenue and attendance up, but he warned the union is strong and the parties are currently far apart on key issues.
The Fox News account also recounted postseason paternity decisions this year, saying All-Star closer Mason Miller went on the paternity list during the Division Series while, the report said, New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried elected to pitch despite his partner being close to giving birth. Swisher, a father of two, told OutKick he felt fortunate not to have faced that situation.
Fox News reported Swisher also praised clubhouse staff, singling out Yankees equipment manager Rob Cucuzza, and described those workers as “unsung heroes” who help prepare teams behind the scenes.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
