Major League Baseball proposes delaying salary cap implementation to 2028 in talks with players
New York Mets' Francisco Lindor waves with Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. after being named the 2026 recipient of Major League Baseball's Roberto Clemente Award before Game 3 of baseball's World Series, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla., between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. Credit: AP/Ashley Landis
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball proposed delaying the start of a salary cap until 2028, saying teams have too many commitments for next season that wouldn't allow them to reduce spending quickly enough.
A day after the start of free agent negotiations for the 2026-27 offseason, owners on Tuesday proposed to players that the sport adopt a hard cap of $258.2 million for 2028 and a mandatory floor of $180.2 million, using luxury tax payrolls with average annual values.
“We recognize that clubs will need a full offseason to prepare to operate within the cap and floor system," MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said in a statement. “This proposal would allow a smoother transition into the cap and floor system without delaying key player benefits, including earlier free agency, a $1 million minimum salary, a 30% increase to the pre-arbitration bonus pool and transactional reform that will reduce roster churn.”
More MLB news
