NEW YORK -- When Jake Bauers gloved the final out of the Milwaukee Brewers' first World Series triumph , it might have ended the last Major League Baseball game for a long time.

While just 148 days remain until the scheduled start of the 2027 season on March 24 , owners have proposed a salary cap for the first time since their 1994 plan led to a 7 1/2-month strike and the first cancellation of the World Series in 90 years.

“Obviously, you’d love to see the game be in a good spot and continue to be played,” Milwaukee captain Christian Yelich said Wednesday a few hours before his team finished a five-game victory over Tampa Bay. “I think the game’s in a great spot right now with a lot of people tuned in, a lot of popularity, a lot of great players out there. It would obviously be a shame if we miss time, but we’ll have plenty of time this offseason to talk about it.”

Baseball's five-year labor contract, agreed to in March 2022 on the 99th day of a management lockout, expires on Dec. 1.…