Skip to main content

Search TrendsNew Ads Appearances Podcasts API

We value your privacy

We use cookies to understand how you use our platform and to improve your experience. Click “Accept All” to consent, or “Decline non-essential” to opt out of non-essential cookies. Read our Privacy Policy.

The Crisis Files

The Crisis Files

Case File #217: Lockout Lowdown

Oct 21, 2026 · 18 min · 10 segments

As baseball fans sink their teeth into the 2026 World Series, they might not realize the 2027 season is in jeopardy. Host Roshini Rajkumar turns to the show's sports guru and legal eagle Steve Silton…

As baseball fans sink their teeth into the 2026 World Series, they might not realize the 2027 season is in jeopardy. Host Roshini Rajkumar turns to the show's sports guru and legal eagle Steve Silton of Cozen O'Connor for all the hits, runs, and errors. That's right, a lockout looms. December 1 is the deadline for Major League Baseball owners and players to come to a deal or risk throwing a lockout. It's been 5 years since a 99-day lockout in 2021 and more than 30 years since a baseball strike that lasted 232 days. That strike hurt the sport as a whole. The big issue: A salary cap. Baseball has never had a cap or a floor. Steve shares why the NFL's focus on parity is a winning strategy: Having a hard cap and a hard floor allows every fan to think their team has a chance at the beginning of the season. Find out what is needed to prevent a lockout and how competition for the eyeballs of fans puts a very challenged sport to the test. At such a critical moment for America's storied pastime, we send good vibes to negotiations that could see extra innings after the 2026 World Series is in the rearview.

As baseball fans sink their teeth into the 2026 World Series, they might not realize the 2027 season is in jeopardy. Host Roshini Rajkumar turns to the show's sports guru and legal eagle Steve Silton…

Spotify Amazon Music Website

Speakers: Steve SiltonGuestRoshini RajkumarHost

Top entities: MLB×15 NFL×14 Minnesota Twins×6 Roshini Rajkumar×8 World Series×5

Show signals: SuitabilitySafeBiasNot politicalAudience≈142 followers

Salary Caps, Floors, and Competitive Balance3:02 – 6:58

Roshini RajkumarHost

3:02

All right.

Roshini RajkumarHost

3:02

So there are terms that you've taught me.

Roshini RajkumarHost

3:05

I've heard salary cap, but there's also salary floor.

Roshini RajkumarHost

3:07

Correct.

Roshini RajkumarHost

3:08

And as I understand it, the NFL uses these things.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:12

Correct.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:12

I mean, the NFL has really rested their kind of success on the concept of parity.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:18

Right.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:19

And as we're just starting the NFL season and our Vikings, at least at the time of our taping, our 4-0, right, the whole goal of the NFL is every year, every team has at least some shot of being successful in the league.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:33

And the NFL has both a hard floor and a hard cap.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:35

So you have to stay under a number.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:37

You can only pay your players so much.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:39

And you have to, at the very least, pay your players a minimum.

Roshini RajkumarHost

3:43

Do you know what that minimum is in the NFL? I do

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:45

not.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:45

But, I mean, it's

Roshini RajkumarHost

3:46

still a lot of money.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:47

It's a lot of money.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:47

But

Roshini RajkumarHost

3:48

no one's making $30,000 a year if you're in the NFL.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:51

No, no, no.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:51

The minimum, the rookie scale, I think, is well over a million dollars a year.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:56

Oh, I like that.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:58

And the cap is in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

4:00

And

MLBSports OrganizationBaseball league
98%15 mentions
NFLSports OrganizationLeague
95%14 mentions
Minnesota TwinsSports TeamBaseball team
92%6 mentions
Roshini RajkumarPerson
89%8 mentions
World SeriesEntityChampionship
86%5 mentions
Los Angeles DodgersSports TeamBaseball team
83%5 mentions
Cozen O'ConnorCompanyLaw firm
80%3 mentions
New York YankeesSports TeamBaseball team
77%4 mentions
Emmy AwardsEntityAward
74%3 mentions
United StatesCountryCountry in North America
71%6 mentions
Savannah BananasSports TeamBaseball team
68%2 mentions
Bruce MeyerPersonAttorney
65%2 mentions
LinkedInSoftware ApplicationSocial networking service
61%2 mentions
XEntitySocial networking service
61%2 mentions
InstagramSoftware ApplicationSocial networking service
55%2 mentions
YouTubeWebsiteVideo sharing company
55%2 mentions
Bob KendrickPerson
50%2 mentions
Atlanta BravesSports TeamBaseball team
47%2 mentions
PhiladelphiaCityCity in Pennsylvania
44%1 mention
Fernando Tatís Jr.PersonSan Diego Padres right fielder
41%1 mention
Major League Baseball Players AssociationOrganizationTrade union
38%1 mention
Minnesota VikingsSports TeamAmerican football team
35%1 mention
NBASports OrganizationLeague
32%1 mention
Sammy SosaPersonDominican baseball player
29%1 mention
Performance-enhancing drugsEntityDrug class
26%2 mentions
Dallas CowboysSports TeamAmerican football team
23%1 mention
Babe RuthPersonBaseball player
18%1 mention
Roger MarisPersonBaseball player
18%1 mention
Target FieldStadium or ArenaStadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota
14%1 mention
Allianz FieldStadium or ArenaStadium in Saint Paul, Minnesota
11%1 mention
AmericansEntityEthnic group
8%1 mention
Kansas CityCityCity in Missouri
5%1 mention
CanadaCountryCountry in North America
2%1 mention

Society
Collective bargainingLaw > Labor law
Labor relationsSports > Baseball > MLB
Player compensationSports > Baseball
2026–2027 MLB lockoutSports > Baseball > MLB > Labor relations
Salary caps and salary floorsSports > Baseball > Player compensation
MLB competitive-balance negotiationsSports > Baseball > Player compensation > Salary caps and salary floors
Professional sports labor disputesLaw > Labor law > Collective bargaining
MLB strikes and lockoutsLaw > Labor law > Collective bargaining > Professional sports labor disputes
Revenue distribution and competitive balanceBusiness > Sports business > Team finances
Large-market versus small-market MLB teamsBusiness > Sports business > Team finances > Revenue distribution and competitive balance
Baseball fandomSociety > Sports culture
Sport modernization and audience competitionSociety > Sports culture > Baseball fandom
Labor lawLaw
Sports businessBusiness
Sports cultureSociety
Team financesBusiness > Sports business
Sports
Law
Business
BaseballSports
MLBSports > Baseball

Salary Caps, Floors, and Competitive Balance3:02 – 6:58

Roshini RajkumarHost

3:02

All right.

Roshini RajkumarHost

3:02

So there are terms that you've taught me.

Roshini RajkumarHost

3:05

I've heard salary cap, but there's also salary floor.

Roshini RajkumarHost

3:07

Correct.

Roshini RajkumarHost

3:08

And as I understand it, the NFL uses these things.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:12

Correct.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:12

I mean, the NFL has really rested their kind of success on the concept of parity.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:18

Right.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:19

And as we're just starting the NFL season and our Vikings, at least at the time of our taping, our 4-0, right, the whole goal of the NFL is every year, every team has at least some shot of being successful in the league.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:33

And the NFL has both a hard floor and a hard cap.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:35

So you have to stay under a number.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:37

You can only pay your players so much.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:39

And you have to, at the very least, pay your players a minimum.

Roshini RajkumarHost

3:43

Do you know what that minimum is in the NFL? I do

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:45

not.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:45

But, I mean, it's

Roshini RajkumarHost

3:46

still a lot of money.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:47

It's a lot of money.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:47

But

Roshini RajkumarHost

3:48

no one's making $30,000 a year if you're in the NFL.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:51

No, no, no.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:51

The minimum, the rookie scale, I think, is well over a million dollars a year.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:56

Oh, I like that.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

3:58

And the cap is in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

S

Steve SiltonGuest

4:00

And

Sign up to see more

The rest of this transcript — segmented and speaker-labeled, so you land on the exact moment something was said
Search every transcript — by keyword, by phrase, or by meaning, across every show Radar indexes
Trends — what is surging across podcasts, measured against its own baseline
Alerts — when a name you follow appears in a newly indexed episode

Create an account Already have an account? Log in

No account is needed to search Radar.