The Major League Baseball Players Association submitted its opening proposal in collective bargaining negotiations on Wednesday, rejecting MLB's push for a salary cap. The union's plan focuses on redistributing wealth through the existing Competitive Balance Tax framework rather than implementing hard spending limits that owners have championed.

Key measures include a competitive-integrity tax on teams with payrolls under $150 million, raising the minimum salary to $1.5 million by 2027, and bumping the CBT threshold to $300 million. The proposal also eliminates qualifying offers and grants free agency to players with five-plus years of service who reach age 30. Revenue sharing would shift toward local media income while reducing stadium-revenue sharing requirements.

MLB is expected to counter with a hard cap-and-floor system—the first such proposal in over thirty years. The league last seriously pursued a cap during the 1994-95 strike that canceled the World Series. Since then, baseball has operated without spending limits while the NBA, NFL and NHL all adopted cap structures.

The divide reflects fundamentally different views on competitive balance. Owners point to revenue gaps between clubs like the Dodgers and small-market teams as evidence that spending limits are necessary. The union counters that smart management, citing the Brewers and Rays, proves financial disparity alone doesn't determine success. With the current CBA expiring December 1, another lockout remains possible if talks stall.