MLB Owners Pushing For This One Monumental Change

MLB owners are once again pushing for a salary cap, reigniting a long-standing battle with the players' union as the league braces for the next round of collective bargaining. 

Several ownership groups, particularly those from smaller markets, are increasingly frustrated by the spending disparities that have left them struggling to keep pace with baseball’s financial juggernauts. 

“We can’t keep playing in two different leagues,” one executive told The Athletic. “You’ve got five or six teams in a different universe, and the rest of us are just trying to keep our heads above water.”

If MLB leans into pushing for a salary cap, you can expect them to lock out the players in December of 2026, says @JeffPassan.

"Is it worth it to take a great era of MLB, that we are in the midst of right now, and absolutely torpedo it in pursuit of financial gains?" pic.twitter.com/ciivgZlor8

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 25, 2025

The owners point to the widening gap between the sport’s top payrolls and its bottom tier as proof of an unsustainable system. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and Mets have routinely crossed the luxury tax threshold, turning the penalty into a cost of doing business, while teams like the Athletics, Pittsbugh Pirates, and Tampa Bay Rays operate with payrolls a fraction of that size. 

Owners argue that a hard cap—similar to the NFL and NHL—would restore competitive balance and encourage fan engagement across all markets. “It’s not about punishing big spenders,” said another owner, “it’s about giving every team a real shot, every season.”

MLB refuses to adopt a salary cap, yet teams continually sign players to guaranteed contracts that extend into the age of 40+. You think a 40 year old position player is going to produce enough to justify that kind of money? No, but they don’t care without a salary cap in place.

— Danny Sharp (@Sharpoon14) April 7, 2025

But the Players Association remains fiercely opposed, viewing a salary cap as a tool to suppress player earnings and shift power even further toward ownership. 

Union leadership has pointed to record franchise valuations, soaring TV deals, and historic profits as evidence that the system doesn’t need fixing, at least not in the way owners suggest. 

With tensions already simmering ahead of the 2026 CBA talks, both sides are gearing up for a major fight—one that could define the future shape of baseball.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images