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Jeff PassanJeff Passan

The impending MLB lockout will be the defining story of baseball next year

This is going to be the defining story of baseball next year. So hopefully people understand that this is gonna be a big deal... owners essentially lock players out, say you cannot report to work. And then it just becomes a staring contest.

The current CBA expires after the 2026 season; Passan is predicting a lockout-heavy 2026.

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Void
Oct 15, 2025
#25726
Big CatBig Cat

The Dodgers are essentially a collection of All-Stars that is unfair to the rest of the league

Dudes on dudes. That's what the Dodgers are. They just have dudes everywhere. They just hit home runs. ... It's crazy how good the Dodgers are. It's not fair. ... Like I want that, I want an owner who's just like, oh yeah, we, we already have a, a ton of dudes that are awesome. Let's just pay another dude a hundred, $200 million just to get even more awesome.

Push
Oct 15, 2025
#11488
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Mariners are a team of destiny

I do feel Team of Destiny Vibes from the Mariners. Now their destiny might be to just get waxed by the Dodgers in the World Series. But I do think that Seattle's gonna get there.

The Mariners had an excellent 2025 season, winning the AL West for the first time since 2001 and reaching the ALCS. However, they lost to the Blue Jays in 7 games and did not reach the World Series.
Loss
Oct 15, 2025
#11489
Big CatBig Cat

The Falcons are really legit

I think they [Falcons] might be really legit. They had two interceptions, four sacks, like they were all over the place. Held the Bills to two for nine from third down. I think they're really legit.

The Falcons finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs. Morris was fired. They were not 'really legit.'

More from Jeff Passan

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Void
Jeff PassanJeff Passan

MLB has the best trade deadline in sports by a mile

I believe it was 42 [trades] on Deadline Day alone. And baseball's... I don't think the NFL's trade deadline day is anything like this. The NBA's usually has at least a few big moves. But to me, baseball has the best trade deadline by a mile, even if it's a bunch of jobbers who are going back and forth.

Subjective comparison of sporting event excitement levels.
Void
Jeff PassanJeff Passan

Sports fans should value winning right now over potential future gratification

We've been conditioned as sports fans... to accept that now is not as important as the future. And I hate that. I hate that as a sports fan. I want executives and owners to treat this year like it's the last year that's going to be played. I want them to have reckless abandon trying to go for a championship right now. Because we don't know what the future's going to look like.

This is a philosophy on sports management.
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Jeff PassanJeff Passan

The Orioles' trade of Adley Rutschman was a reset, not a rebuild, and they 'crushed' the deal

I think this is more reset than rebuild though... to ship him away, it's painful. Getting back Anthony Sasson and Kaizen Witherspoon and Andy Zakar and Carlos Nevas, like they crushed that deal. The Red Sox understood they were overpaying significantly.

The long-term impact of the trade will take years to fully evaluate.