Major League Baseball's current collective bargaining agreement will expire on December 1 and Rob Manfred is optimistic that a work stoppage can be avoided.
Negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA have been acrimonious the last 13 months.
Despite that, Rob Manfred is "optimistic" baseball will be able to avoid a work stoppage after the 2021 season.
"I believe -- I really am optimistic -- that the process will work here," Manfred said.
The two sides recently held their first collective bargaining session. The Chicago Cubs' Ian Happ told reporters the two sides are early in the process of explaining where they stand, and no proposals have been made yet.