MLB, Players Union Face Dec. 1 CBA Deadline as Salary Cap Fight Raises Lockout Risk
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 15
MLB, Players Union Face Dec. 1 CBA Deadline as Salary Cap Fight Raises Lockout Risk
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 15
Summary
Dec. 1 is the deadline for MLB and the players union to replace the current CBA, with both sides signaling a possible offseason work stoppage if talks stall.
A salary cap is the central impasse: owners say it is needed to narrow competitive gaps, while players call any cap non-negotiable and instead want a spending floor without a maximum.
Payroll disparities are fueling the fight, with the Dodgers above $440 million in AAV payroll versus the Marlins at about $81 million; the bottom five payrolls combined are just over $500 million.
Other bargaining issues are moving more than the cap debate, including earlier free agency, service-time manipulation and roster rules, but owners have also floated contract-length limits of five to six years.
The standoff comes as MLB attendance is on pace to rise for a fourth straight year, reviving fears of the sport's first lost games since the 1994-95 strike.