Major League Baseball owners have not yet decided if they will lock out players if there is no new labor deal after the Dec. 1 expiration of the current one.

While discussing the possibility, Rob Manfred said "an offseason lockout that moves the process forward is different than a labor dispute that costs games."

Owners didn't lock out players in 1994 and Manfred believes that led to the crippling strike that followed.

"I don't think '94 worked out too great for anybody," Manfred said. "I think we need to look at other sports. The pattern has become to control the timing of the labor dispute and try to minimize the prospect of actual disruption of the season. That's what it's about. It's avoiding doing damage to the season."