NEW YORK, January 21, 2026
MLB Owners Prepare for Battle Over Salary Cap
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Frustration over recent free-agent spending is pushing baseball owners toward a hard-line stance on financial regulations.
- Major League Baseball owners are “raging” after recent high-profile free agent signings.
- A salary cap is now considered “a 100 percent certainty” according to one source with knowledge of ownership discussions.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets may be the only teams to oppose a cap.
- Negotiations between owners and players are expected to begin early in the upcoming season, with a potential lockout looming in December.
Major League Baseball owners are bracing for a contentious fight over a salary cap, fueled by recent free-agent deals that have sent shockwaves through the league. A salary cap is now “a 100 percent certainty,” one person briefed on ownership conversations revealed, signaling a dramatic shift in the league’s financial landscape.
Tucker, bichette Deals Ignite Owner Outrage
Owner frustration reached a boiling point with Kyle Tucker’s agreement to a four-year, $240 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the reigning two-time World Series champions who already boast the highest payroll in baseball. The subsequent three-year, $126 million contract between the New York Mets and Bo bichette further intensified the discontent, the source said. The Dodgers and Mets are anticipated to be the only teams to resist the implementation of a cap.
MLB declined to comment Tuesday. League Commissioner Rob manfred has maintained that no formal decision has been made regarding a salary cap.
A Cap Proposal Long in the Making
A proposal for a salary cap has been anticipated for over a year, but many within the industry believed a signing like Tucker’s would be the catalyst for action. Two other ownership sources suggested the Tucker deal validated their long-held positions: that the disparity in revenue and payrolls across baseball needs to be addressed.
The Dodgers, coming off consecutive World Series titles, are projected to have a payroll exceeding $400 million in 2026. Only three other teams are expected to surpass the $300 million mark. In stark contrast, the miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays, both Florida-based teams, are projected to operate with payrolls under $100 million.
Owners are still debating the specifics of a potential salary floor and ceiling, a discussion expected to dominate the upcoming owners’ meetings. The union for dismissing a cap proposal before negotiations even begin. Top player agent Scott Boras believes MLB should prioritize securing more lucrative media rights deals.
“The Dodgers are not a system issue,” Boras said in a statement. “They are the benefactors of acquiring Shohei Ohtani,MLB’s astatine. Short-lived and rare. No other player offers such past or present. Ohtani is the genius of elite performance and additional revenue streams of near $250 million annually for a short window of history.
“The process of acquiring Ohtani was one of fairness and equal prospect throughout the league,” Boras continued. “A rare, short-lived element is not a reason to alter the required anchored chemistry of MLB. The mandate of stability to gain media rights optimums is the true solution to league success.”
The central question remains: which side will yield first? Will owners maintain their stance on a cap, even if it means a work stoppage that jeopardizes the 2027 regular season? Or will the players concede? And how long will the standoff last?
Both sides will project strength, but the outcome will likely remain unclear until negotiations reach a critical juncture. The 2021-22 lockout was resolved in March ’22, narrowly averting a reduction in the regular season schedule.
