MLB proposes delaying salary cap until 2028 season — SkimNews
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- MLB proposed postponing salary-cap implementation until the 2028 season while keeping the other elements of its labor offer in place for 2027, as the current collective bargaining agreement approaches its Dec. 1 expiration.
- MLB Players Association has consistently opposed any salary cap, even as MLB continues pressing for a cap-and-floor system.
- MLB said Monday’s free-agency opening and the significant likelihood of a lockout complicated teams’ planning and prompted the delay; starting in 2028 would permit a smoother transition without delaying key player benefits.
- MLB proposed a $258.2 million cap and $180.2 million floor for 2028, above its earlier targets of $245.3 million and $171.2 million; the figures reflect its proposed 50/50 revenue split.
- MLB would leave competitive-balance-tax thresholds unchanged for the 2027 season.
- MLB Players Association officials said players would lose more than $1 billion if they accepted a cap, reflecting the bargaining gap that could lead to a prolonged work stoppage.
Why it matters: For teams, moving the cap to 2028 addresses the planning disruption surrounding Monday’s free-agency opening and the Dec. 1 CBA expiration, while leaving 2027 CBT thresholds unchanged. For players, the delay does not erase the dispute: the union says a cap would cost them more than $1 billion, keeping the bargaining gap central.
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