Although the 2026 is in full swing, the MLBPA and MLB owners have started looking ahead to this offseason, when the current collective bargaining agreement expires. Both parties made their first proposals this week in what looks to be a contentious labor negotiation.
The MLB owners' first proposal might appealing to fans who have been begging the league to add a salary cap, but a quick look at the numbers reveal that the Braves would be one club hurt by the first proposal.
Braves would be one team hurt by MLB owners' first CBA proposal
It is important to note that both proposals, by the players and by the owners, are expected to be highly favorable to their sides. For instance, the MLBPA's first proposal would double the league minimum, triple the pre-arbitration bonus pool, and allow players with five years of service time to reach free agency if they are over 30 years old.
The goal of the first proposal is to shoot for the moon, and eventually meet in the middle on most of the ideas, if not discard entirely some of the wants.
The owners first proposal looks modest at first, especially compared to the players. Their proposal of a $171.2 million salary floor would force 12 teams to increase their payrolls. However, that floor is also coupled with a $245.3 million salary cap. This is the firs time the owners have proposed a salary cap since 1994, which led to a player's strike that cancelled 948 regular season games.
The Braves are currently one team that would be over that treshhold. Although the club has several short-term deals, like $20 million being given to struggling shortstop Ha-Seong Kim for the 2026 season, Atlanta has much of their cornerstone locked in.
Currently, the Braves have five players guaranteed money through 2028, including a resurgent Michael Harris II and a dependable Matt Olson. Chris Sale, Ronald Acuña Jr, and Mike Yastrzemski also have club options for that season as well. The current owner proposal could cause the Braves to cut money by moving one of these long term deals away.
Additionally, according to Bob Nightengale, players believe the cap and floor would be lowered by player benefits and amateur signings being included. This means that the $245.3 million salary cap, which is lower than the Braves current luxury tax payroll of $253.5 million, would include more than just MLB player contracts, further diluting it.
MLB players have been adamently against a salary cap, and this issue will likely be the reason if there is a lockout this winter. But the owners' first attempt is far too low for the players to even consider for now.
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