Major League Baseball has proposed significant changes to free agency rules in its latest collective bargaining agreement negotiations with the MLBPA. The league wants to cap contracts at five years for free agents switching teams, while allowing teams to retain their own players for up to six years under a new "Cornerstone Player Provision." The proposal would take effect after the 2027 season and represents a fundamental shift from the six-year service time requirement that has governed free agency since 1976.

The plan includes raising the minimum salary from $780,000 to $1 million in 2027, marking the largest year-over-year increase in MLB history. Players reaching five years of service time by age 30 would gain earlier free agency access. MLB also proposed eliminating deferred contracts and the qualifying offer system while introducing a salary floor of $171.2 million and ceiling of $245.3 million per team.

Under the framework, a free agent changing teams next offseason could sign a maximum $202 million contract over five years, while teams retaining their own players could offer six-year deals worth up to $265 million. The pre-arbitration bonus pool would increase 30% to $65 million in 2027.

The MLBPA strongly opposes these measures, calling them "misleading offers" designed to distract from billion-dollar compensation reductions. The union argues the proposals suppress player salaries and eliminate fundamental rights, while MLB claims the changes address payroll disparity that leaves small-market fans without World Series hope.