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MLB warns teams not to send holiday cards to players during potential lockout

Major League Baseball has issued strict guidelines to teams ahead of a potential lockout, advising them to refrain from sending holiday cards or gifts to players starting December 2. The directive, outlined in a 34-page memo from MLB executive Dan Halem, reflects the league’s preparations for a labor stoppage following the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement on December 1.

Teams are permitted to send holiday greetings only before that date, though other interactions—such as attending players’ weddings—will also be governed by new rules, including prohibitions on discussing business matters in those settings. The memo also details plans for digital adjustments, including the creation of alternate team websites that remove player likenesses while still allowing merchandise sales featuring their names and images.

The latest proposals from MLB to the MLB Players Association include shortening the regular season to 154 games, expanding the division series to a best-of-seven format, and granting higher-seeded teams in the wild-card and divisional rounds the right to choose their opponents. However, these changes are contingent on the players’ agreement to a salary cap—a condition the MLBPA has rejected as "anti-player," arguing it undermines player rights and compensation.

The union has signaled it will respond formally at the bargaining table, though negotiations remain tense as both sides prepare for a possible work stoppage.

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