Players Underwhelmed by MLB's Latest Proposal

NEW YORK -- Players reacted unenthusiastically to a new list of proposals presented by Major League Baseball during collective bargaining negotiations in New York on Thursday.

The union’s opposition stems from MLB’s insistence on linking any changes to a salary cap, a system the Players Association and its members have fought against throughout the union’s history. The last time MLB made a sustained push for a cap, players weathered a 232-day strike and the cancellation of the 1994 World Series before the game resumed in April 1995.

MLB’s latest proposals – which include limiting most free agent contracts to five years, the elimination of the qualifying offer for free agents, and increases in the minimum salary and the pre-arbitration bonus pool, among other measures – are all contingent on the union accepting a salary cap. Players have consistently maintained that a cap is a non-starter in negotiations.

“To date, the league’s proposals are totally unserious and completely contingent on remaking the game to protect owner profits at the expense of players and fans,’’ said Bruce Meyer, the MLBPA’s interim executive director. “Don’t buy their PR stunts — no matter what they claim, their ultimate goal is to remake the game under a system that restricts salaries, hinders competition, pits players against each other, and does nothing to level the playing field or bring costs down for fans.’’

The union’s initial core economic proposal in late May centered on increased revenue sharing, changes in the luxury tax and a new “competitive integrity tax’’ for clubs that fail to meet minimum payroll benchmarks as measures to improve competition on the field while supporting lower-revenue clubs.

Thursday’s session was the latest negotiation toward a new CBA to replace the current agreement, which expires Dec. 1. MLB is expected to institute a lockout at that time, which would put a freeze on trades, free agent signings and other offseason activity.

MLB owners declared a lockout at the expiration of the last CBA in December 2021. It lasted 99 days before the Players Association and MLB reached agreement on a new CBA on March 10 – avoiding any interruption to the 162-game regular season.