MLB Salary Cap Standoff
Baseball All-Stars Criticize MLB Salary Cap and Player Age Proposals, Seek Resolution
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Baseball's biggest stars are pushing back hard against MLB's new salary cap proposal — but they say a deal can still get done. Paul Skenes, Juan Soto, and Bryce Harper all spoke out at the All-Star Game, saying players will never accept a cap on what teams can spend, according to GazetteXtra.
The current labor contract expires December 1. A lockout is expected if no deal is reached, which could threaten the start of the 2027 season, Daily Item reported.
MLB's Proposed Salary Cap Would Shake Up Spending
MLB's proposal would cap team payrolls at $245.3 million starting in 2027. That figure includes $20.1 million for player benefits and a pre-arbitration bonus pool. The league would also set a payroll floor of $171.2 million, forcing smaller-market teams to spend more, according to Click Orlando.
To put that in perspective: the Los Angeles Dodgers opened this season with a $415.2 million payroll. A hard cap at $245.3 million would force the Dodgers — and teams like them — to cut spending by more than $170 million, News4Jax reported.
Star Players Vow to Fight the Cap Proposal
Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates ace and a member of the union's eight-man negotiating committee, was blunt. He said both sides would not agree to a salary cap. "Players will never agree to a salary cap," he said, according to The Facts.
Soto and Harper echoed that view. Harper also took aim at MLB's proposal to ban players from signing professionally until they are at least 20 years old by September 1 of their signing year and two years out of high school. He said the union has a long legacy of fighting MLB on issues like this, KIRO 7 reported.
Both Sides Say There Is Still Time to Avoid a Stoppage
Despite the sharp words, all three players struck a cautiously optimistic tone. They said there is still enough time before December 1 to work out a deal and avoid a work stoppage, Boston 25 News reported.
Labor negotiations in baseball have a history of going down to the wire. The last lockout, in 2021-22, lasted 99 days and delayed the start of the regular season. Players and owners know the stakes — and so do fans watching closely, Local 10 noted.
What MLB's Signing Age Rule Could Mean for Young Players
Beyond the cap fight, MLB's proposal to restrict when players can sign professionally is drawing heat. Under the plan, a player could not sign until he was at least 20 years old by September 1 of the signing year and two full years removed from his high school class, according to KIRO 7.
Critics say the rule would delay young players' careers and cost them years of earning potential. Harper, who signed his first pro deal at 16, made clear he sees this as a core union issue — not just a side debate, GazetteXtra reported.
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