MLBPA Unveils Player-Friendly CBA Proposal Targeting Revenue Sharing and Payroll Parity

The Major League Baseball Players Association has officially released its opening proposal in the new collective bargaining agreement process, with a focus on increasing player salaries, adjusting the competitive balance tax, and overhauling the league’s revenue-sharing system. The proposal includes a minimum salary increase to $1.5 million in the first year, a $180 million pre-arbitration bonus pool, and a revised competitive balance tax threshold that would rise to $300 million. The league is expected to counter with its own proposal tomorrow.

Among the key financial changes, the MLBPA is pushing for a significant raise in the minimum salary from the current $780,000 to $1.5 million, with incremental increases in future years. The proposal also seeks to expand the Super Two designation from 22% to 44% of players between two and three years of service, allowing more players to qualify for arbitration earlier. Additionally, the minimum tender in arbitration would jump to $3 million.

The union is also targeting the competitive balance tax, raising the threshold from $244 million to $300 million in the first year and increasing it incrementally to $360 million by the fifth year. Non-monetary penalties such as draft pick reductions would be eliminated, and the qualifying offer system would be scrapped. Instead, bonuses for lower-revenue teams who lose free agents would be increased.

Revenue sharing is a central theme of the proposal. The MLBPA wants to reduce the amount of stadium revenue shared but increase broadcast revenue distribution to smaller-market teams. Lower-revenue clubs would receive at least $240 million annually, with conditions requiring them to spend the money on players. Teams that fail to spend the revenue-sharing funds would face penalties, while those that do and make the playoffs or have a winning record would receive bonuses.

The proposal introduces a “competitive integrity tax” for teams that do not spend at least $150 million on payroll, effectively creating a soft floor to prevent clubs from hoarding money. This mirrors the existing competitive balance tax but in reverse. The Oakland Athletics, who recently avoided a revenue-sharing grievance by raising their payroll to $105 million, are among the teams that would be affected by this change.

MLB has already signaled opposition to the proposal, with spokesperson Glen Caplin stating that the union’s plan would make competitive balance worse rather than better. The league is expected to push for a salary cap, which it has long advocated for as a way to address economic imbalances.

The current CBA expires on December 1 at 11:59 PM Eastern. With both sides digging in early, the negotiations could be as contentious as the 2021-2022 lockout, which delayed the season but ultimately led to a full 162-game year. The owners’ response tomorrow will set the tone for the next phase of the talks.