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.
The Tucker signing seems to have generated a lot of discussion about the upcoming CBA expiration and a potential salary cap, so I figured a new thread on that topic might be worthwhile. Discussion questions: What are the odds of a lockout and/or a lost season? What would the impact be of those outcomes? What are the odds of MLB instituting a salary cap? What are viable alternative solutions to address the spending gaps between clubs? What other changes would you like to see in the next CBA?
The deferral system needs to be adjusted or at a minimum- regulated. Owners and players will absolutely go to war over a salary cap. Manfred made a recent comment about a FA deadline and I believe Brent Rooker said that is about the “most anti player thing” possible. I’d put the chances of a work stoppage at about 90% and I also expect games to be missed next season. Hope I’m wrong but I think there’s a huge gap between some of the things owners want and things players won’t back down from.
I will reply to my own thread. I think the odds of a lockout are very high, but the odds of a lost season are extremely low. A lockout and shortened season won’t be a big deal imho. But a lost season would be devastating to MLB’s popularity. I don’t think there will be a formal salary cap. I think there will be some kind of compromise whereby the tax is increased dramatically for the top 2-3 teams and that tax money is forced back to the players via salary floors for the teams that aren’t spending. I think MLB owners are already preparing for this concession as we’ve seen some of the bottom spenders sign a few players over the last year. I think expansion is something that could potentially entice the players to concede to a salary cap of some form. MLBPA could be given a big % of the initial franchise fee for expansion teams as a trade for accepting a cap. Just thinking outside the box. Other changes I would like to see: A 6 round international draft. All players under 25 must come into the league via the draft. Players over 25 can come in via free agency; formalize the relationships with the leagues in Japan and Korea so that all players are posted after their age 25 season and their posting team gets a % of the free agent contract. Allow players to voluntarily opt into having additional minor league options to avoid being DFA, and guarantee big league minimum salaries for all players on 40 man rosters. The waiver tornado is just stupid and doesn’t really benefit anyone with fringey guys bouncing from team to team and not even getting to play. Let players accrue service anytime they are on a 40 man roster, even if they’ve been optioned to the minors; players reach free agency after 7 years of service time or their age 29 season, whichever comes first. Fill up the offseason calendar: Nov 1-7: WS ends, Free agency begins, QO decisions Nov 8-14: GM Meetings, QO acceptance, Rule 5 protection Nov 15-21: Owners meetings, Non-tender deadline Nov 22-30: Awards announcements Dec 1-7: Winter meetings, Draft lottery Dec 8-14: Winter meetings, Rule 5 draft Dec 15-21: Int’l closing Dec 22-31: Christmas break Jan 1-7: Arb exchanges Jan 8-14: HOF announcements Jan 15-21: Int’l signings/draft Jan 22-31: Draft combine, old timers’ game Feb 1-7: Arb hearings Feb 8-14: Team caravans Feb 15: ST begins
While I would support a salary cap, it isn't very likely. The players really do not want it and the owners are not going to push it. I think that the solution is increasing the penalties with the draft and international spending. I would make it quite draconian. You are over the luxury tax line? Just going over it costs you 25% of international spending and you lose your #2 and #3 picks. for each year you are over. You blow past the second level? You lose your #1 for that year and the more over, the more you lose. Deferrals? Yeah you lose draft capital as well. Dodgers, you have $2,110,000,000 in deferred money? Then you lose picks, and a lot of picks, good picks ---
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…
Deferred money should be counted towards the luxury tax value of a contract, and also the amount that is deferred should be counted towards the luxury tax in the years its paid out. Basically double tax the deferred salary.
Deferred salaries have no economic impact on the game. All they do is allow the player to claim they are making a bigger salary than they are and if the deferral is long enough, prevents players from doing something stupid with their money in the meantime (the Bobby Bonilla idea). The team still has to put the current value of that money in escrow and earns interest on it. It doesn't affect the luxury tax, payroll, or anything else.
