Major League Baseball proposed limiting most free agent contracts to five years and 15% of a team’s salary cap and to eliminate deferred compensation, fleshing out details of a salary cap plan likely to spark a confrontation with the players’ association.

During a bargaining session Thursday at the union’s office, MLB said it would accept the union’s proposal granting free agency a year early for players who have reached age 30 if the union accepted the league’s salary cap system. MLB also proposed boosting the minimum salary from $780,000 to $1 million for those with two years of big league service.

kAm|{q 2=D@ AC@A@D65 :?4C62D:?8 E96 AC6\2C3:EC2E:@? 3@?FD A@@= 7C@> Sd_ >:==:@? E@ Sed >:==:@? ?6IE J62C 2?5 Sfd >:==:@? 3J a_ba[ E96 D:IE9 D62D@? @7 |{qVD AC@A@D65 D6G6?\J62C 562=]k^Am

kAm“%96D6 >:D=625:?8 @776CD 2C6 56D:8?65 E@ =@@< =:<6 ‘:>AC@G6>6?ED’ 3FE 2C6 @7 =:EE=6 @C ?@ G2=F6[ 8:G6? E96J 2C6 6IAC6DD=J 4@?5:E:@?65 @? 28C66>6?E E@ E96 =628F6’D 42A DJDE6> H9:49 6=:>:?2E6D E96 7C66 >2C<6E[ 2?5 6?DFC6D 82:?D 7@C @?6 A=2J6C @?=J 4@>6 2E E96 6IA6?D6 @7 2?@E96C[” F?:@? 9625 qCF46 |6J6C D2:5 😕 2 DE2E6>6?E] “(9:=6 |{q 4=2:>D E@ 36 24E:?8 😕 E96 :?E6C6DE @7 72?D[ E96:C AC@A@D2=D E9FD 72C 2C6 6?E:C6=J 4@?D:DE6?E H:E9 @H?6CD’ =@?8\96=5 8@2=Di DFAAC6DD:?8 A=2J6C D2=2C:6D 2?5 >2I:>:K:?8 4=F3 AC@7:ED]Qk^Am

kAm|{q 2=D@ D2:5 :E H@F=5 28C66 E@ 6=:>:?2E6 E96 BF2=:7J:?8 @776C 7@C 7C66 286?ED E92E D:?46 :ED :?46AE:@? 😕 a_`a 92D C6DEC:4E65 E96 >2C<6E 7@C D@>6 A=2J6CD]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>=3\=23@C\?68@E:2E:@?D\fcf_hb_6d35_bdg76d324fcb4gh2`dacQmq2C82:?:?8 DE2CE65 |2J `bk^2m 7@C 2 4@?EC24E E@ C6A=246 E96 7:G6\J62C 562= E92E 6IA:C6D s64] `[ 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>=3\D2=2CJ\42A\he44g24d66dbag7b5d4h_c4dd5f44e_7Qm@H?6CD AC@A@D65 2 D2=2CJ 42Ak^2m 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 D:?46 E96 F?:@? 7@F89E @77 E96 DJDE6> 5FC:?8 2 f `^a\>@?E9 DEC:<6 😕 `hhc\hd] |{q 😀 6IA64E65 E@ :>A@D6 2 =@4<@FE 😕 s646>36C[ 92=E:?8 7C66 286?E D:8?:?8D 2?5 EC256D]k^Am

kAm“~H?6CD’ 2EE6>AED E@ A:E A=2J6CD 282:?DE A=2J6CD 2C6 ?@E9:?8 ?6H[Q |6J6C D2:5] QqFE E96J’G6 72:=65 😕 E96 A2DE 2?5 H:== 72:= 282:? ?@H[ 3642FD6 !p >6>36CD C6>2:? F?:7:65]”k^Am

kAmp7E6C E96 AC:@C 28C66>6?E 6IA:C65 😕 s646>36C a_a`[ :?E6?D:G6 32C82:?:?8 5:5 ?@E DE2CE F?E:= =2E6 u63CF2CJ 2D E96 E9C62E 2AAC@24965 @7 =@D:?8 C68F=2C\D62D@? 82>6D — 2=@?8 H:E9 C6G6?F6 2?5 D2=2CJ] %96 D:56D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>=3\DA@CED\3FD:?6DD\C@3\>2?7C65\32D632==\73375_g`abh77bhe_a___434hb3_4`e6QmC624965 2? 28C66>6?E @? |2C49 `_k^2m[ E96 hhE9 52J @7 E96 =@4<@FE[ AC6D6CG:?8 E96 `ea\82>6 D4965F=6]k^Am

kAmx? E96 =628F6VD 4@C?6CDE@?6 AC@A@D2=[ >256 =2DE >@?E9[ E62> DA6?5:?8 H@F=5 36 42AA65 ?6IE J62C 2E Sacd]b >:==:@?[ FD:?8 7:8FC6D 7@C =FIFCJ E2I A2JC@==D E92E :?4=F56 Sa_]` >:==:@? 7@C 36?67:ED 2?5 E96 AC6\2C3:EC2E:@? 3@?FD A@@=] xE 2=D@ H@F=5 6DE23=:D9 2 A2JC@== 7=@@C @7 S`f`]a >:==:@?[ 7@C4:?8 D6G6C2= E62>D E@ DA6?5 >@C6] %96 EH@\E:>6 (@C=5 $6C:6D 492>A:@? {@D p?86=6D s@586CD[ 32D632==’D 3:886DE DA6?56CD[ 925 2 Sc`d]a >:==:@? A2JC@== @? @A6?:?8 52J E9:D J62C — 2C@F?5 S`f_ >:==:@? @G6C E96 AC@A@D65 42A]k^Am

kAm“%96 3:886DE :DDF6 32D632== 72?D H2?E D@=G65 E@ DEC6?8E96? E96 82>6 😀 7:I:?8 E96 A2JC@== 5:DA2C:EJ E92E =62G6D E@@ >2?J 72?D H:E9@FE 9@A6 @7 E96:C E62> 4@>A6E:?8 7@C 2 (@C=5 $6C:6D E:E=6[Q |{q DA@<6D>2? v=6? r2A=:? D2:5 😕 2 DE2E6>6?E] “tG6CJ @E96C >2;@C &]$] DA@CE 92D E24<=65 E9:D AC@3=6>[ 2?5 6G6CJ J62C >@C6 D>2== >2C<6E E62>D 😕 E9@D6 =628F6D 92G6 2 492?46 E@ H:?] %96 D2=2CJ 42A 2?5 7=@@C AC@A@D2= =6G6=D E96 A=2J:?8 7:6=5]”k^Am

kAmpD A2CE @7 E96 A=2?[ |{q H@F=5 6DE23=:D9 2 “4@C?6CDE@?6 A=2J6C” D:>:=2C E@ E96 }qpVD q:C5 CF=6[ H9:49 H@F=5 2==@H 2 E62> E@ C6\D:8? 2 A=2J6C 2E `eT @7 E96 42A] p 7C66 286?E DH:E49:?8 4=F3D H@F=5 36 =:>:E65 E@ 2 Sbe]g >:==:@? D2=2CJ ?6IE J62C 2?5 2 C6\D:8?:?8 A=2J6C E@ Sbh]a >:==:@?]k^Am

kAm$2=2C:6D 7@C 7C66 286?ED 😕 255:E:@?2= D62D@?D @7 2 >F=E:J62C 4@?EC24E H@F=5 36 =:>:E65 E@ dT :?4C62D6D[ 2D H@F=5 D2=2C:6D 7@C J@F?86C A=2J6CD 😕 >F=E:J62C 562=D E92E 4@G6C A@E6?E:2= 7C66\286?E D62D@?D]k^Am

kAmr@?EC24ED H@F=5 36 42AA65 3J D6CG:46 E:>6i 2E Sd__ >:==:@? 2?5 `a J62CD 7@C E9@D6 J6E E@ >2<6 >2;@C =628F6 563FED[ Sce` >:==:@? 2?5 “ D62D@?D 7@C E9@D6 H:E9 _\` J62CD @7 D6CG:46[ Sca` >:==:@? 2?5 `_ J62CD 7@C `\a[ Sbga >:==:@? 2?5 ?:?6 D62D@?D 7@C a\b[ Sbcb >:==:@? 2?5 6:89E J62CD 7@C b\c[ Sb_c >:==:@? 2?5 D6G6? J62CD 7@C c\d[ 2?5 Saed >:==:@? 2?5 D:I J62CD 7@C 7C66\286?E 6=:8:3=6 A=2J6CD]k^Am

kAmq2??:?8 5676CC65 4@>A6?D2E:@? H@F=5 6=:>:?2E6 2 3FD:?6DD AC24E:46 FD65 >@DE AC@>:?6?E=J 3J E96 s@586CD[ H9@ @H6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^ a_ag\cfk^2m] x? 255:E:@?[ |{q H@F=5 C6DEC:4E 3@?FD AC@G:D:@?D 😕 A=2J6C 4@?EC24ED 2?5 >2?52E6 2 DE2?52C5 2H2C5 3@?FD A24<286]k^Am

kAm|{q D2:5 :E H@F=5 2446AE E96 F?:@?VD AC@A@D2= E@ 5C@A 7C66\286?E 6=:8:3:=:EJ E@ 7:G6 D62D@?D @7 D6CG:46 7C@> D:I 7@C E9@D6 EFC?:?8 b_ 3J E96 }@G] ` @7 E96 @77D62D@?] |{q D2:5 bdc A=2J6CD @? 3:8 =628F6 C@DE6CD 2D @7 %9FCD52J H@F=5 C6249 7C66 286?4J 2 J62C 62C=:6C] |{q H@F=5 DE2CE E96 492?86 😕 E96 a_af\ag @77D62D@?]k^Am

kAmpD A2CE @7 E96 >:?:>F> D2=2CJ AC@A@D2=[ |{q D2:5 A=2J6CD H:E9 =6DD E92? EH@ J62CD @7 D6CG:46 H@F=5 92G6 2 Sh__[___ >:?:>F> 2?5 :7 62C?:?8 2 7F== J62C @7 D6CG:46 H@F=5 86E 2? 255:E:@?2= S`__[___ 7C@> E96 AC6\2C3:EC2E:@? 3@?FD A@@=]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! |{qi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>=3Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>=3k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.