Overview
- Commissioner Rob Manfred told WFAN he favors a fixed signing period to concentrate offseason activity and downplayed claims it would hurt players.
- MLBPA executive director Tony Clark rejected the concept, saying free agency thrives with competition and warning owners against undermining the system.
- Agent Scott Boras argued deadlines would restrict competition and deny players a true market by suppressing leverage.
- The idea remains a public proposal with no formal language, and previous deadline concepts were rejected in past CBA talks ahead of the current deal’s Dec. 1, 2026 expiration.
- Coverage notes a sluggish 2025–26 market, with stars such as Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger, Bo Bichette, Alex Bregman and Ranger Suárez still unsigned as spring training approaches.