MLBPA Proposing Drastic Increase To League's Minimum Salary

Mar 25, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) holds onto his bat after fouling off a pitch against the San Francisco Giants in the third inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images© Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images&period;

MLBPA Proposing Drastic Increase To League's Minimum Salary

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated May 27, 2026 5:02 PM ET

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The Major League Baseball Players Association isn't interested in waiting until the winter to dive into collective bargaining talks.

Roughly two weeks ago, the MLB and MLBPA launched their negotiations on a new deal. To the surprise of absolutely no one, the league is pushing for a salary cap. The players' union obviously isn't interested in that type of financial structure.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the MLBPA's first collective bargaining proposal included a "competitive-integrity tax" for teams that don't spend $150 million. Additionally, the union wants to increase revenue sharing for local media.

Since the MLBPA wants a "competitive-integrity tax," the minimum salary would need to increase from $780,000 to $1.5 million.

"Today, the MLBPA presented a comprehensive set of economic proposals designed to advance the rights and benefits of players at all levels," interim executive director Bruce Meyer said in a statement, via ESPN. "Our goal is to preserve and improve baseball's market system, rewarding competition on and off the field. Additionally, the players' proposals provide increased revenue sharing initially guaranteeing every small market Club a minimum of $240m in revenue every season. This enhanced revenue sharing includes added protections to ensure Clubs prioritize winning over profiteering. Ultimately, our proposals are designed to build upon the incredible momentum and popularity of our sport world-wide."

Is a salary cap the answer?

The MLB is expected to counter the union's offer with a "hard cap-and-floor system." A salary cap hasn't been proposed since the 1994-95 strike.

Most baseball fans are against the league having a salary cap. They would rather the league embrace a hard floor for every team.

"I’m all for a floor. So much better than a hard cap," one person said. "If you own an MLB team, there should be some expectation to actually TRY to compete instead of pocketing revenue sharing and running bargain-bin payrolls."

"I'm in favor of a payroll floor," another person wrote on X. "It makes a lot more sense than a hard cap."

The MLB's current CBA is set to expire on December 1. Hopefully, the league doesn't have a lockout in 2027.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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