Major League Baseball owners have proposed a new labor agreement that includes a maximum contract length of five years for all free agents who switch teams. The proposal, made to the MLB Players Association on Thursday, also includes a six-year maximum contract length for free agents who re-sign with their existing teams.
Key Proposal Details
The owners’ proposal includes a $202 million limit on deals for free agents signing with other teams. The proposal also increases the minimum salary for players who have reached two years of service time to $1 million, up from $780,000. Additionally, players who have posted five years of service time by age 30 would be eligible for free agency, one year less than the current requirement.
The league did not ask for changes to arbitration but did propose eliminating qualifying offers and deferred contracts. A player with less than a year of service can re-sign with their own team for up to 12 years, including six before free agency and six after.
MLB spokesperson Glen Caplin stated, “Today, in addition to proposing the largest-ever increase in the minimum salary, earned by over half of MLB players, we accepted two landmark changes to free agency that have been in place for 50 years.” However, the union quickly rejected the owners’ latest bid, with MLBPA interim executive director Bruce Meyer stating, “The overall drag on player compensation here dramatically outweighs the benefits suggested here.”
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
