MLB Owners Propose $245.3 Million Salary Cap and $171.2 Million Floor in CBA Talks
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 2
MLB Owners Propose $245.3 Million Salary Cap and $171.2 Million Floor in CBA Talks
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 2
Summary
$245.3 million and $171.2 million are the headline figures in MLB owners’ latest CBA counterproposal, putting a salary cap and payroll floor at the center of already-contentious talks with the players’ union.
Bruce Meyer, the MLBPA’s chief negotiator, said the plan is not a true 50-50 revenue split because owners would exclude billions in ancillary revenue and count benefits and bonus pools inside the cap.
The union estimates players would have lost more than $500 million in 2026 under that framework, with the effective payroll cap closer to $205 million and the floor near $128 million after roughly $43 million in non-salary items.
Owners say the proposal would level the playing field and address local TV blackouts through broader media-revenue sharing, while the union argues teams already can spend more and some low-payroll clubs simply choose not to.
The dispute lands as MLB’s popularity, ratings and attendance are rising again, raising the stakes for reaching a deal before the 2026 season ends and avoiding a lockout that could threaten Opening Day 2027.