World Series champion says potential MLB lockout could 'absolutely' cause cancelled games next season

In a normal year, most MLB teams would already be looking toward next year at this point in the season, as only a few teams remain alive.

But what does next season even look like? Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association are all but guaranteed to have a lockout beginning Dec.

1 , as both sides have diametrically opposed positions on a salary cap.

The owners are pushing hard to implement a salary cap, while the players are vehemently opposed.

World Series champion Nick Swisher said that games could "absolutely" be missed next season due to a stalemate between the two sides.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE "Absolutely, because just like yourself as me, is all of a sudden, you hear the players association speaking this language and the commissioner's office is speaking this language.

I immediately knew out of the gate.

Plus, just knowing a little bit more under the hood about the last couple of collective bargaining agreements, right?" Swisher told OutKick in a recent interview.

The former New York Yankees star noted that Tony Clark is no longer the head of the MLBPA after resigning in February and that Bruce Meyer, who took over for Clark, will want everyone to know how he does business.

Swisher said he hopes both sides go to the negotiating table in good faith.

"When you get people going to the negotiation table, you're hoping that everyone's trying to go to negotiate a fair deal.

You're hoping that both sides aren't trying to go to the negotiation table to win.

Because if that's the case, we're in a lot of trouble.

Because we're really, really far apart from each other right now, and the last thing we wanna do is slow this train down," Swisher said.