Keep in mind: Smaller/fewer changes are the easiest and most likely to be acceptable to both sides. For every change that benefits one side, some concession or change will need to be made for the other. Let's solve this for them before a lockout happens.
For decades players have been 100% united against a salary cap (even if it is paired with a floor) Every crazy FA contract just strengthens their resolve on this. I have heard so many people (fans and media alike) say a salary cap is the only solution. I don't agree, but if it is the concessions given to the players will be significant. Suggestions: Reduce FA to 5 years = 3 pre-arb and 2 arb. Add 3 additional roster spots. Make last 2 SP inactive but keep 13 active pitchers. Keep 1 emergency position player with the team and in uniform (getting paid) but only able to play if 2 players get injured. This can ge a regular starter scheduled for a day off. Reduce the schedule from 162 games without reducing salaries. Reduce MiLB number of seasons and options before FA. Maybe abolish rule 5 draft and just allow players to file FA if they want it. Reduce service time requirements for getting various levels of pension and Healthcare benefits. It will be interesting to see how unionizing MiLB effects the negotiations if at all.
Set the luxury tax thresholds higher and make them more egregious, splitting the additional money up based on competitiveness. Make the draft penalties extremely punitive ie Dodgers lose all their draft picks, etc.
I like the idea of larger penalties for teams spending over $Z with the fines going to other teams, as long as there is a requirement to spend. Maybe tier the penalties where all low revenue teams get a base amount but teams who spend at least $X but not more than $Y get the rest with the goal being make it detrimental to not pay at least $X and seriously fine teams going over $Z
I think this is a better idea. I do think using the draft to even the competitiveness is better than encouraging more FA by changing the arb years and such. Since you’re not getting a salary cap, the incentive of giving the players a win on something is not there.
Fans should just boycott and demand a salary cap. There’s like 20+ teams who are eliminated before the season starts. I can’t imagine those fanbases. No hope at all.
The Dodgers spent $170+ million last year as a "fine", obviously they don't take the "fine" seriously so increase it to a real number and then have that dispersed to the other teams. Ohtani deferred a huge chunk of his salary, while I dig that from a fan`s perspective that should not be allowed.......The Dodgers are the Yankees of the 80`s and 90`s
The argument that because of the CBT money other teams receive they should spend significantly more is at best misinformed. The money teams receive is not enough to put a dent in the problem. First, a slice of the CBT revenue is taken off the top to go towards player benefits. I believe it is 3.5 million. Then of the remaining money HALF goes to the players retirement accounts. THEN the teams that stayed under the tax split the rest of the money For last season the Dodgers paid 169 million in luxury tax. Nine teams paid luxury tax in 2025. So 21 teams would divide HALF of the 169 million. Just to keep it simple I won't even include the 3.5 million that goes to the players benefits. So lets just stick with half of the 169 million which is 84.5 million. Now divide the 84.5 million among 21 teams... and you get 4.02 million bucks for each of the teams that stayed under the tax. So each team that didn't go over the luxury tax gets enough money from the Dodgers to not even afford a middle reliever.... It's not significant and it certainly does not make up for the lost TV revenue from the RSN destruction. The total amount of CBT tax paid in 2025 was 403 million. So HALF of that divided by the 21 teams is 9.59 million dollars for each team that receives CBT revenue. That is NOTHING compared to the money the big market teams are spending. You can't even get an elite setup man with the money.
There are 12 teams according to sport track that their entire payroll is less than what the Dodgers pay in CBT penalties.
If there is no salary cap then make a defacto cap by increasing fines and draft pick penalties with minimum salary requirements to be eligible for benefits/compensation. Hypothetically Double the CBT fines penalty (Dodgers pay 220% penalty which also doubles what qualifying teams get in revenue sharing) For a contract over $200M the signing team surrenders their 1st draft pick to the team who lost the player. Dodgers lose more draft picks and international bonus pool money for signing a player with a QO attached. Dodgers can sign Tucker but must pay $252M penalty and give 1st rd pick to the Cubs and 2 more picks disappear along with $1M in money to sign amateur FAs. More compensation to team losing a FA and all teams who can't afford absurd contracts.
I’d be on board with putting constraints on a team’s means of amateur player acquisition. They chose to dish out big money to free agents, the player’s previous team should get draft pick and IFA bonus pool compensation. Plus, Dodgers player development has always been highly regarded, so it’s not like their system will be in chains or instantly decimated. Make those coaches earn their money…
