MLB lockout looms over small-market World Series showdown

The Tampa Bay Rays will face the Milwaukee Brewers in a World Series featuring two of baseball's smallest spenders, just weeks before a labor standoff that threatens to bring the sport to a halt.Why it matters: MLB owners argue that baseball needs a salary cap to give smaller teams a fighting chance. But a championship matchup between two budget teams gives players fresh ammunition to argue that the current system works.Both teams knocked out some of baseball's biggest spenders on their way to the World Series.The Brewers swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, while the Rays eliminated the New York Yankees en route to the World Series.State of play: Owners proposed a salary cap and salary floor in May — the league currently has neither — which the MLB players union is expected to reject outright, Axios' Dan Primack reported.By the numbers: This is the first World Series in 35 years featuring two teams that rank in the bottom half of MLB payrolls.The Rays ranked 26th among 30 teams in opening day payroll at $89 million, while the Brewers were 19th at $124 million, according to the AP.The Cleveland Guardians, whom the Rays defeated in the American …

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