MLB Proposes New Contract Length Limits in Latest CBA Proposal Amid MLBPA Negotiations

MLB unveiled its latest collective bargaining agreement proposals that it hopes will address some key issues.

On Thursday, MLB revealed that it is proposing a maximum contract length of five years for free agent players switching teams, and six years for teams retaining their own players. This proposal would eliminate deferred contracts and qualifying offers. Players who are 30 or older can qualify for free agency after five years of service as well.

MLB is also proposing to raise the minimum salary from $780,000 to $1 million for players with two years of service time. Players with zero or one-plus years of service time would receive a $900,000 minimum salary plus an automatic $100,000 bonus.

These latest proposals are part of an ongoing effort from MLB to institute a salary cap system, which the MLBPA has strongly opposed. ESPN's Jeff Passan revealed that the maximum contract for free agents switching teams would be valued at $202 million, far less than the exorbitant paydays that have been given out in recent years to players like New York Mets star Juan Soto and Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani.

ESPN's Jesse Rogers explained that under the current system, which has been in place since free agency was established in MLB in 1976, players of any age need six years of service time before becoming a free agent. The proposal for players with five years of service time by age 30 to become eligible for free agency was originally included in the players' union's own CBA proposal.

While the players are still against the implementation of a salary cap, the league included a proposal for a salary floor of $171.2 million and a ceiling of $245.3 million per team, beginning in 2027.

The MLBPA released a stern response to the league's proposals, stating that league owners are "attempting to distract from the true impact their plan would have on baseball." The union added that it is "committed to achieving a fair deal that protects the rights of all players, promotes competition, and leaves our game better for future generations."

According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, union chief Bruce Meyer believes there will be a lockout starting in December.

It sounds like MLB has some more work to do if it wants its proposals accepted, as the players appear entrenched in their stance against the new system.