MLB proposes delaying salary cap until 2028 season - ESPN

Major League Baseball has proposed postponing the implementation of a salary cap until the 2028 season while still putting into place the other elements of its labor offer for 2027 as the current collective bargaining agreement approaches its Dec. 1 expiration.

With the MLB Players Association consistently voicing its objection to any cap, the league has pressed forward with its pursuit of a cap and floor. The opening of free agency Monday, however, and the significant likelihood of MLB locking out the players when the current labor deal expires, complicated the ability of teams to plan amid the uncertain labor landscape and prompted the proposed delay, sources told ESPN.

«Starting in 2028 would allow a smoother transition into the cap and floor system without delaying key player benefits,» MLB posted to social media in announcing the proposed delay.

The $258.2 million cap and $180.2 million floor that the league proposed for 2028 in a meeting with the union Tuesday was higher than the $245.3 million and $171.2 million numbers the league floated as its original cap-and-floor targets, sources told ESPN. Those numbers reflect a 50/50 revenue split the league proposed.

Under the league's proposal, the competitive-balance-tax thresholds — a luxury-tax mechanism used to penalize teams with higher payrolls — would remain the same for the 2027 season.

Union officials have said players would lose more than $1 billion if they agreed to a cap, reflecting the chasm between the parties that could lead to a prolonged work stoppage.