Kiermaier Offers Training as MLB Lockout Looms
The former Dodgers outfielder has offered to train players while the collective bargaining dispute keeps teams' facilities closed to them.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Baseball
Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kevin Kiermaier has offered to train MLB players during the impending lockout. Teams will lock their facilities to players until the collective bargaining agreement dispute is resolved.
Why it matters
With clubhouses and practice fields closed, players may lose access to structured training during the offseason. Kiermaier's offer reflects how veterans are looking for ways to keep players ready while labor talks continue.
Kiermaier played in parts of 12 MLB seasons and won four Gold Gloves, accruing 31.5 bWAR and 82 home runs with the Tampa Bay Rays. His 2024 stint with the Dodgers produced a .564 OPS across 34 games, and the number of players who will take him up on his offer remains unreported.
The players
Kevin Kiermaier
A former Gold Glove center fielder who spent most of his career with the Tampa Bay Rays before finishing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Major League Baseball club that won the 2024 World Series and acquired Kiermaier at the 2024 trade deadline.
The details
Kiermaier wrote publicly that he is willing to train players during the lockout, a notice Instagram account posted about him. His offer followed his recent work with Dodgers prospect Zach Ehrhard during the 2025-26 offseason.
Timeline
2013: Kiermaier made his MLB debut with the Rays.
2022: He left the Rays after the season to join the Toronto Blue Jays.
2024 trade deadline: The Dodgers acquired him, and he retired after that season.
2025-26 offseason: He trained Zach Ehrhard.
Season Trajectory
The 2021-22 MLB lockout shut teams' facilities to players for months, forcing many to find private trainers and workout partners. Kiermaier's offer to train players repeats that pattern, showing how veterans step in when clubs cannot provide structured training.
Players who lose access to team facilities may need to arrange private training ahead of spring camps. Fantasy managers should watch whether players with significant offseason training gaps show changes in their early-season performance.
The takeaway
The lockout is pushing players to find their own training options, and veteran offers like Kiermaier's show how the baseball community responds when facilities close. How quickly the dispute resolves will determine how much preparation players can complete before spring.
Further reading
For more on the league's labor fight and its effect on the season, see Baseball.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Dodgers Nation.
