Proposals and ideas
Formal proposals each side has made at the table, and reform ideas from players, media and others. Newest first.
Formal proposals
- MLB: At an Oct. 22 bargaining session, owners proposed allowing cameras on catchers for broadcasts. (Associated Press (via WSLS), Oct 22, 2026)
- MLB: A 154-game season and best-of-seven Division Series starting in 2029. (MLB.com, Oct 8, 2026)
- MLB: Opening economic proposal: a $245.3M salary cap and $171.2M payroll floor, a 50-50 revenue split and fully pooled local revenue. (CBS Sports, May 28, 2026)
- MLBPA: Opening proposals: no cap, a Competitive Integrity Tax on low-payroll clubs, a $1.5M minimum salary, a $240M small-market revenue guarantee and expanded arbitration. (MLBPA, May 27, 2026)
Reform ideas
- Dayn Perry, CBS Sports: Sharing more local revenue, especially local broadcast money, could do what MLB says a cap would do without a 1994-95-style stoppage. The union has already proposed something similar. (CBS Sports, Oct 22, 2026)
- Zack Scott, former acting Mets general manager: A 10% levy on the net gain whenever control of a franchise changes hands, so players share in team sale profits. (MLB Trade Rumors, Jun 17, 2026)
- Zack Scott, former acting Mets general manager: No hard cap. Instead, a luxury-tax line starting at $250M with escalating rates, and a payroll floor starting at $171.2M, both indexed to the median club's revenue growth. (MLB Trade Rumors, Jun 16, 2026)
- Brent Suter, pitcher and MLBPA executive subcommittee member: A salary floor without a cap, a smaller revenue gap between big and small markets, and more national TV money in place of local deals. (FanSided, May 9, 2026)