MLB Owners Want To Take Game Away Again

It’s kind of under the radar right now. Baseball still has two seasons to play under the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA), but the words that always stop baseball are being whispered. “Salary cap“.

Evan Drellich of the Athletic was warning about the latest possible owners salvo almost two years ago. Included in his story was news of the owners creating an economic reform committee:

“Pittsburgh Pirates owner Bob Nutting told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that although he voted for the most recent collective bargaining agreement, he basically didn’t want to, and wants major change”.

For the record, the Pirates payroll of just over $84 million was twenty-ninth of the thirty teams in baseball. The fifteenth team in the league sat at almost twice as much.

The last CBA reached before the 2022 season was just in time to avert baseball’s latest disaster. Commissioner Rob Manfred on behalf of the owners perhaps no longer feels the same as he did on that day:

“I am genuinely thrilled to be able to say that Major League Baseball is back and we’re going to play 162 games. I do want to start by apologizing to our fans. I know that the last few months have been difficult”.

Salary cap for MLBPA – Never

One thing is crystal clear, if the owners push the latest salary cap salvo, there will be no baseball until they change their collective minds. This is a no go as in never, ever, ever.

This has been handed down from one MLBPA leader to the next. From the man who started it all, Marvin Miller to those that followed, Donald Fehr, Michael Weiner and now Tony Clark, the mantra has always been the same:

That economic reform committee is “Focused in on how best to depress player salaries. “We’re never going to agree to a cap,” Clark said. “Let me start there. We don’t have a cap. We’re not going to agree to a cap.”

No cap helps pave the way for teams to spend as they wish. The MLBPA knows full well, no matter what kinds of limits owners try to place on themselves, there will always be those to exceed it, thus bringing up all the salaries.

“The result was a record $311 million paid in penalties, led by the Los Angeles Dodgers who are paying $103,016,896. The New York Met were next at $97,115,609. The Chicago Cubs were taxed the least, paying $570,309”.

No changes in owner spending

It also doesn’t look like things are going to change, starting with the recently signed Juan Soto contract. What’s important to note as Rogers writes:

“The first $3.5 million of proceeds is used to fund player benefits. Fifty percent of the remainder goes to player retirement funds”

Sounds like something the players will continue to fight for, so if you arrive at spring training in 2027 and there’s no baseball to watch, don’t say you weren’t warned. At least you’ll know who’s fault it is. Again.