Competitive balance means nothing if you don’t want to compete, and several MLB teams could face that reality in a salary cap era. All signs point to a lockout beginning on Dec. 2 as the league pushes for spending limits, which include a cap, floor and even restrictions on contract length.

We already know that teams like the Dodgers, Yankees and Mets aren’t afraid to spend in free agency, and a cap likely wouldn’t change their approach. Other clubs like the Brewers, Rays and Guardians are always in the playoff hunt and, in Milwaukee’s case, constantly compete for championships despite their lower payrolls.

There are also teams that, regardless of a cap or floor, face a never-ending road to even resemble a competent organization. Ownership, poor management and acceptance of their current situations have positioned these franchises to continue their repeated losing. 

Honorable mention: Los Angeles Angels

If not for the Angels’ impending sale to Stan Kroenke, then they’d easily have landed on our list. But new ownership often immediately creates optimism, and KSE has an extensive, proven track record across both North American and international sports. 

None of that is to say the Angels will suddenly win 90 games and the AL West next year, especially not with one of the league’s weakest rosters. We’ll throw their fans a bone, though, because things could be far worse. Just ask the next team on our list!

Athletics

Imagine telling someone during the Moneyball era that the A’s would become one of baseball’s most embarrassing franchises for reasons beyond wins and losses. The fire sales to avoid paying young players were bad enough, but their disgraceful exit from Oakland only ramped up the pressure on John Fisher and Mark Kotsay to right the ship in Sacramento. 

Well, we were certainly wrong on that front. Pundits loved the A’s young core and picked them as a trendy sleeper team this past spring, yet they responded with an ugly 98-loss season. They’ve lost at least 90 games in five of the last six years, and the buzz about their planned move to Las Vegas evaporated a long time ago. 

Given how this organization operates, who else is ready to see them trade Jacob Wilson or Tyler Soderstrom ahead of the likely Dec. 2 work stoppage? 

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds might be a surprising inclusion, but let’s be frank: There is no reason to trust that the current leadership group, specifically owner Phil Castellini and lead baseball executive Nick Krall, will bother regularly chasing marquee free agents. Kyle Schwarber was briefly linked to Cincinnati last offseason given his family ties to Ohio, but he was the exception to the rule.

We’d personally place the Reds behind the Brewers, Cubs and Pirates in the NL Central, though that’s not saying much. Milwaukee just won the World Series, and Chicago has been a perennial playoff contender for much of the past decade. Whether the Pirates can build off an 82-win campaign depends on how bullish you feel about Paul Skenes’ future after his disappointing year.

If the Reds wanted to contend in 2026, then they’d have dismissed Krall and considered moving on from Terry Francona. Electing to maintain the status quo is certainly a choice, and we expect it to backfire moving forward. 

Colorado Rockies

The best part about being a Rockies fan, at least locally, is knowing that you can watch games at Coors Field. Their favorite team is coming off its fourth consecutive 100-loss season, though they won 15 more games than their dreadful 43-119 campaign a year earlier. Progress!

That’s not to say the Rockies don’t have potential budding stars, and catcher Hunter Goodman just mashed 41 homers with an .839 OPS. We also like first baseman TJ Rumfield, a former 12th-round pick who hit .300 with 16 home runs, 30 doubles and a league-leading .390 on-base percentage. 

But at this point, we all know the Rockies’ problems: They don’t spend in free agency, and the altitude severely works against their pitching staff. If it’s any consolation, at least they’re not the only NL West team on our list.

San Francisco Giants

Whenever we write about Buster Posey, our days of immediately thinking “future Hall of Famer” are long gone. The three-time World Series champion should earn his bronze plaque within the next few years, and maybe as early as this coming January. But that doesn’t change the desperation reeking from his office after two immensely underwhelming seasons.

Posey and CEO Larry Baer deserve credit for being aggressive, especially with how many teams shy away from even trying to spend. But as the losing continues, the Giants haven’t shown an inclination to take a step back and openly ask why they’re not contending for a Wild Card spot. Would anyone be shocked if they took the Yankees’ approach to burn money in free agency and hope something changes?