Andrew Friedman's answer to lockout question hints not all owners are on same page

Most baseball owners and executives have (wisely) declined to weigh in on the distinct possibility of a lockout when the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires in December. When players are willing to talk about it, they maintain their union's position: they are vehemently against a salary cap.

The Dodgers are already and will continue to be at the center of this debate. They have the largest payroll in baseball, they don't care about the luxury tax, and they show zero signs of stopping. Owner Mark Walter basically confirmed that Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes have carte blanche when it comes to offseason spending. They make the decisions, then Walter signs the checks.

After Kyle Tucker came to LA, reports emerged that owners were collectively incensed. But where does Walter stand?

He would never say, but Friedman sure made it sound like the Dodgers' collective stance on the issue is pretty simple: they're willing to keep spending at this pace as long as they're able to.

"Obviously see [the discussions about a lockout], come across it, hear it quite a bit. But we're just not that focused on it," Friedman said. "We're a really healthy organization, and the partnership we have with our fans is our guiding light. And we're doing everything we can to put a team out there that our fans really connect with, and that they feel that partnership with all that they pour into us, and don't really think about it in any other terms."

MLB players seem unequivocally united in their stance. Owners may not be so completely on the same page.

Dodgers PoBO Andrew Friedman stood firm on LA's commitment to spending despite lockout threats

New MLB Players Association head Bruce Meyer told the Detroit Free Press that he was directing players to brace for a lockout. In his opinion, it's "almost guaranteed."

Of course, the incentive for Walter to side with his fellow owners is clear. Even for a guy with as much money as him, and for as successful as the Dodgers have been, why should he argue with a system that would not just allow but force him to pay less?

Even if a salary cap were to be implemented, the Dodgers would still undoubtedly be able to grandfather their current contracts in under the old rules. Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Kyle Tucker, Blake Snell, and so on, will all still be able to get the Dodgers to championship after championship.

John Heyman of the New York Post wrote that even Walter and Mets owner Steve Cohen are "believed likely willing to go along with the call for a cap," but "believed likely" is still a more convoluted way to say "maybe," and not "yes."

Friedman's position doesn't necessarily have to reflect Walter's at all times, and he was clearly being careful with his wording. When it really comes down to it, Friedman is just going to have to follow marching orders, but the Dodgers have set themselves up to thrive even if a cap is put in place.