By Jon Paul Hoornstra0ShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberSee more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Major League Baseball submitted its first proposal in collective bargaining May 28 to the MLB Players Association. To the surprise of no one, the proposal called for a salary cap.
If instituted, teams would need to maintain a payroll of at least $171.2 million without exceeding $245.3 million starting in 2027.
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The players' union, unlike its brethren in the other major North American pro sports, has resisted a salary cap for the duration of its existence.
Not surprisingly, interim union chief Bruce Meyer immediately blasted the league's proposal in a statement.
..."The last time the owners made such an explicit push for a cap (in 1994) it led to the longest work stoppage in MLB history," Meyer said. "For generations, our members have fought against cap systems because they harm players at all levels, erode or eliminate contractual guarantees, pit player against player, lead to more work stoppages, not less, and get worse for players over time.
"Caps don't lower ticket prices for fans, eliminate tanking or ensure teams are run with equal competence. They suffocate competition by offering owners an all-purpose excuse for inaction and mediocrity."
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On May 27, the union proposed a new “Competitive Integrity Tax” on teams that fail to meet minimum payroll benchmarks while increasing luxury tax thresholds that serve as the primary mechanism for revenue sharing between baseball's large- and small-market clubs.
The disparity in team payrolls has accelerated in recent years. The New York Mets are projected to spend $362.5 million this season on player salaries before taxes are accounted for; the Cleveland Guardians are projected to spend $70.6 million.
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While that might strike some fans as unfair, the Guardians are a first-place team in the American League Central. The Mets occupy last place in the National League East.
"Billionaire owners are not seeking to cap their profits or asset values, only player salaries," Meyer's statement read. "This (proposal) isn't out of generosity or a desire to protect the game's well-being. It's a play to control costs, increase profits and maximize franchise values - all at the expense of players past, present and future."
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