Overview
- The MLB Players Association formally submitted its first collective‑bargaining proposal on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, setting the opening terms for talks ahead of the Dec. 1 CBA expiry.
- The plan creates a new “competitive integrity tax” on clubs that spend under $150 million and raises the luxury‑tax threshold to $300 million to compress payroll gaps.
- Players would see major early‑career pay gains under the proposal, including a jump in the minimum salary to $1.5 million, a $180 million pre‑arbitration bonus pool, and higher arbitration minimums.
- The union seeks revenue‑sharing changes that guarantee every small‑market club at least $240 million in annual revenue, redirect local TV money to teams with lower revenue, and impose penalties if funds are not used to improve rosters.
- The proposal also eliminates the qualifying offer, expands the draft lottery, tightens service‑time rules and shortens free‑agency access for players age 30, and it sets up a likely owner counterproposal — reportedly a hard cap‑and‑floor — with a lockout risk if talks stall.