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MLB Officially Changes Its Proposal For A Salary Cap Tuesday
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- MLB Officially Changes Its Proposal For A Salary Cap Tuesday
It appears the MLB is softening its stance on implementing a salary cap for the 2027 season.
The MLB's current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire after Dec. 1. While the league and MLBPA want to avoid having a lockout at all costs, neither side has really budged on their proposal. An old proposal from the MLBPA featured a "competitive-integrity tax" for teams that don't spend $150 million. The MLB, meanwhile, has been in favor of a "hard cap-and-floor system."
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"The suggestion that the only way to limit roster churn, or incentivize earlier Free Agent signings is with a salary cap is entirely unserious," the MLBPA previously said. "Players have proposed changes that would address these priorities, but the league is not interested in any changes that don't directly reduce the rights of all players and shift leverage to the owners."
According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the MLB has offered to postpone its salary cap and floor until the 2028 season since this free agency period could be chaotic under brand-new rules.
"In its proposal, MLB also set new numbers for its proposed cap and floor in 2028," Passan added. "The cap would be $258.2 million while the floor would be $180.2 million. In its previous proposal, the league had offered a $245.3 million ceiling and $171.2 million floor."
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Oct 11, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts during the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game one of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn ImagesBenny Sieu-Imagn Images.
Major changes could be on the way for the MLB.
The MLB said 12 teams would need to raise their payroll by $636 million to be compliant with the proposed floor.
On the flip side, eight MLB teams would need to decrease their payroll by $528 million to reach the cap.
"Overall, this would net a $108M payroll increase," the MLB said. "Starting in 2028 would allow a smoother transition into the cap and floor system without delaying key player benefits."
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We'll see if the MLB and the MLBPA get a deal done in the coming months.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Nov 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
