Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- MLB players remain firmly opposed to the owners' proposed salary cap for the 2027 season.
- Pittsburgh Pirates' Bryan Reynolds called the cap a nonstarter, emphasizing that teams should spend more rather than face limits.
- The negotiations could lead to a prolonged work stoppage similar to the 242-day strike in 1994-95 if no agreement is reached.
MLB's next labor dispute has its defining issue. After owners recently proposed a salary-cap-and-floor system as part of discussions surrounding the next collective bargaining agreement, players across the league have quickly pushed back.
Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Bryan Reynolds is a man of few words. He used just three to describe the players’ thoughts on a cap: “It’s a nonstarter,” Reynolds said. “I just don’t see us accepting a cap. I think the issue is more so some teams not spending what they could spend versus a cap.”
Reynolds was one of six players I spoke with from three different teams last week after the first shots were volleyed between baseball’s rank and file and owners. And all six players, three on the record and three off the record, were abundantly clear that their side continues to be as dug in as ever about never accepting a cap. The issue led to a 242-day strike in 1994, and the Major League Baseball Players Association seems ready for another potentially long work stoppage once the current CBA expires on December 1.
Why players see a salary cap as a nonstarter
MLB has proposed a system in which team payrolls would be capped at $245.3 million in 2027, with a floor requiring teams to maintain minimum payrolls of $171.2 million. The limits would be based on figures used for luxury tax purposes, including $20.1 million for benefits and the pre-arbitration bonus pool. The players are opposed to a proposal that would limit their earning power.
Second baseman Nico Hoerner is in his first season as the Chicago Cubs’ representative to the MLBPA, and Hoerner admits it is a daunting time to step into the role and quickly learn.
While Hoerner wasn’t as blunt in his rejection of a salary cap as Reynolds, he made it clear that the players are unified in their opposition. Hoerner, who signed a six-year, $141-million contract extensionon March 29, also pointed out that MLB attendance and TV ratings are trending upward.
“Obviously, there is a long way to go in the negotiations,” Hoerner said. “The players are in a really strong place right now, and the ability to communicate amongst us is at an all-time high, at least from what I’ve seen. The game is in a good place right now. I don’t think there is much wrong with it. I just don’t see the need to make any big changes (in the CBA).”
Why owners believe baseball needs a salary cap
However, Commissioner Rob Manfred and the owners say they are listening to the fans and that consumers want the gap between big- and small-payroll teams narrowed. The owners often point out that a small-market team has not won the World Series since the Kansas City Royals in 2015.
Last season, the Los Angeles Dodgers spent a record of $515 million between player payroll and luxury tax. Conversely, the Florida Marlins’ payroll was $68.7 million. The Dodgers got the ultimate return on their investment by becoming the first team to win back-to-back World Series championships since the New York Yankees captured three in a row from 1998-2000.
Why this debate feels different from ordinary CBA negotiations
The three other major North American professional sports leagues have salary caps, but MLPBA executive director Bruce Meyer said during a media teleconference on Monday that his constituency has no interest in joining the NFL, NBA or NHL.
“The unions in the other sports didn’t agree to salary-cap systems because they thought it was a good thing for players. That’s not what happened,” Meyer said. “In one way or another, they were not able to fight the way that our union has, and not criticizing anybody, it’s just a fact. Our union has always been the most solid, and that’s why our union has the best system.”
Even a player who hasn’t been through a CBA negotiation, like Pirates second-year outfielder Jake Mangum, is dead set against a cap. “I don’t know as much about the labor situation as guys who have been in the league longer, but I do know that the PA is committed to helping the players, and I’m going to follow what they say.”
For now, neither side appears interested in blinking. Owners continue to argue that competitive balance requires change. Players remain convinced a salary cap is simply a restriction on earnings. This much is known: It's going to require creative negotiation and collaboration to ensure next season begins on time.
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