Overview
- ESPN reports owners plan to press for a hard cap in the next CBA, with multiple owners believing the only viable path could involve missing the 2027 season.
- Players and the MLBPA intend to reject any cap proposal, describing continued pursuit of a cap as a "declaration of war."
- Support for a cap is strongest among small- and midsized-market owners who cite big-market spending by the Dodgers, Yankees and Mets as a competitive concern.
- Commissioner Rob Manfred has publicly characterized talk of a cap and related disruption as speculation.
- The previous ownership concept floated in 2021–22 envisioned a $180 million cap with a $100 million payroll floor, which the union opposed.