MLB heads into offseason of uncertainty with lockout looming

The crowning of the Milwaukee Brewers as World Series champions kicked off an offseason of great uncertainty for Major League Baseball on Thursday, with owners widely expected to lock out players if they cannot reach a new labor deal before the current agreement expires on Dec. 1. At the heart of the negotiations is the issue of a salary cap that would limit how much MLB’s 30 teams can spend on player salaries, a system the league feels would address the payroll disparity between big-market and small-market teams. The MLB Players Association considers the implementation of a salary cap as a nonstarter.