MLB Rumors Reveal Owners Are 'Raging' After Kyle Tucker's Dodgers Contract, Will Push for Salary Cap

Owners have unsuccessfully pushed for a salary cap in MLB for years. The Los Angeles Dodgers' addition of Kyle Tucker might cause them to push harder than ever toward that goal.

The Athletic's Evan Drellich cited a source Tuesday who said owners are "raging."

"These guys are going to go for a cap no matter what it takes," the source told Drellich.

The Dodgers are projected to have a $429 million payroll in 2026, having signed Tucker to a four-year deal averaging $60 million annually. The New York Mets, fresh off getting infielder Bo Bichette, are looking at a $336 million total commitment for the season ahead.

Those are the only two franchises on pace to eclipse $300 million. Seven teams, meanwhile, are on pace to come in below $100 million.

Whenever a salary cap was a sticking point in past negotiations, the MLB Players Association held firm.

Many have argued that the luxury tax system is a de facto salary cap because the penalties incentivize owners to eventually bring their spending down. But there's no firm limit to what ambitious franchises are willing to pay.

Ironically, some stiff resistance to a hard cap may come from within the ownership's own ranks.

Drellich reported that figuring out an accompanying salary floor "could be a contentious issue for smaller-market teams, some of which might stand to make more money on an operational basis in the current system."

Let's say the new CBA outlined a floor of $100 million. The Miami Marlins would have to increase their payroll by $31 million in 2026 in order to get there.

From the perspective of players, a salary cap might finally prove beneficial because more franchises would have to dabble in free agency and be aggressive in re-signing homegrown talent.

More than anything, Drellich's report is another reminder of how contentious the next CBA negotiations will likely be.