Passan: How could an MLB salary cap work? Lessons ...
Key takeaways
- The MLBPA's position remains unflinching: The two dirtiest words in the English language are salary cap.
- Fully evaluating the league's proposed system remains difficult until MLB presents more information, including firm details of the game's reserve system, its draft plans and other nuances.
- Following their analyses, we'll explain the similarities and differences of MLB's proposal to all three and what all of it means for baseball's labor negotiations.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
And Meyer's pointed criticism of the league's proposal -- a 50/50 split of baseball-related revenue, a $243.5 million ceiling and a $171.2 million floor with all television revenue shared equally -- took aim at the 125-page plan delivered to the union.
The MLBPA's position remains unflinching: The two dirtiest words in the English language are salary cap. Though the size of the league's proposed floor initially intrigued some on the players' side, the more they learned about the details, the less enamored they became. Players understand that a majority of fans want a cap. They also believe the system MLB is proposing would be actively worse for them and that addressing competitive balance does not necessitate a salary cap.
Fully evaluating the league's proposed system remains difficult until MLB presents more information, including firm details of the game's reserve system, its draft plans and other nuances. But the information released so far invites comparison, which is particularly informative because MLB spent significant time studying the NFL, NBA and NHL caps and communicating with officials from each league to better understand those systems.