The World Baseball Classic has been an exciting showcase for baseball on the international stage, but some MLB players, including Bryce Harper, have lamented their inability to taste a gold medal on an Olympic podium.
“I’ve been fighting for LA28 for a long time,” Harper said in March. “I think my whole career I’ve been trying to get something started or something coming up. Obviously, the WBC has been great, but it’s not the Olympics, right?”
Baseball was featured in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but MLB players on active 40-man rosters were prohibited from participating. After being excluded from the 2024 Paris Olympics, the sport is set to return to Los Angeles in 2028. Whether the MLB’s top stars get the chance to live out their dreams, however, remains to be seen.
Last year, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred opened the door to MLB participation in LA28, provided the ballclubs agree. MLB has since garnered support from owners, but according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, “disagreements with the MLB Players **** ociation over hotel rooms, tickets and a mandatory-participation agreement” have threatened proceedings.
Per emails obtained by ESPN, the MLBPA has balked at LA28’s current proposal, instead seeking a deal similar to the one struck between the Olympic Committee, NHL, and NHLPA that paved the way for NHL stars to return to the 2026 Milano Cortina Games after a 12-year absence.
“I’ve been fighting for LA28 for a long time,” Harper said in March. “I think my whole career I’ve been trying to get something started or something coming up. Obviously, the WBC has been great, but it’s not the Olympics, right?”
Baseball was featured in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but MLB players on active 40-man rosters were prohibited from participating. After being excluded from the 2024 Paris Olympics, the sport is set to return to Los Angeles in 2028. Whether the MLB’s top stars get the chance to live out their dreams, however, remains to be seen.
Last year, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred opened the door to MLB participation in LA28, provided the ballclubs agree. MLB has since garnered support from owners, but according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, “disagreements with the MLB Players **** ociation over hotel rooms, tickets and a mandatory-participation agreement” have threatened proceedings.
Per emails obtained by ESPN, the MLBPA has balked at LA28’s current proposal, instead seeking a deal similar to the one struck between the Olympic Committee, NHL, and NHLPA that paved the way for NHL stars to return to the 2026 Milano Cortina Games after a 12-year absence.
3 months ago
