07/13/26 05:32:00
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07/13 17:30 CDT Baseball's All-Stars don't like MLB's salary cap proposal but
say there's time to find a deal
Baseball's All-Stars don't like MLB's salary cap proposal but say there's time
to find a deal
By RONALD BLUM
AP Baseball Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) --- Paul Skenes, Juan Soto and Bryce Harper are among
baseball's All-Stars who say players will never agree to a salary cap but
maintain there's plenty of time to avoid a conflict that could shorten the 2027
season.
"Both sides kind of have their line that they're not going to cross," Skenes,
the Pittsburgh Pirates ace who is also a member of the union's eight-man
negotiating committee, said Monday. "Whether that results in missing games or
missing a season, we'll see."
Baseball's five-year labor contract expires Dec. 1 and MLB is expected to
immediately lock out players. The more consequential deadline is in late
February or early March, when Major League Baseball would announce whether it
was postponing opening day.
Owners proposed a salary cap for the first time since the union fought off
MLB's cap plan with a 7 1/2-month strike in 1994-95 that caused the first
cancellation of the World Series since 1904. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred
says a cap is needed to lessen payroll disparity.
Soto, who signed a record $765 million, 15-year-old contract with the New York
Mets as a free agent after the 2024 season, would be limited to a $265 million,
six-year deal under MLB's proposal.
"Yeah, that sucks," Soto said. "It shouldn't be there."
MLB's proposal would cap spending in 2027 at $245.3 million, using figures for
luxury tax payrolls that include $20.1 million for benefits and the
pre-arbitration bonus pool. It also would establish a payroll floor of $171.2
million, forcing some teams to spend more.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball's biggest spenders, had a $415.2 million
payroll on opening day this year. MLB has not made a proposal on how to phase
in a cap, a process that would be key for high-spending clubs such as the
Dodgers.
Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, at 34 in the eighth season of a
$426.5 million, 12-year contract, said players are aware of the proposal's
intent.
"It's trying to minimize the years and obviously the totals. For sure, we see
that," he said. "I think baseball's in a good spot right now and we can't mess
this up."
Harper, in the eighth season of a $330 million, 13-year contract with
Philadelphia, said he couldn't conceive of any scenario in which the players'
association would agree to a cap.
"The opportunity for players to get paid is what this is all about," Harper
said, citing the union's legacy of fighting MLB since Curt Flood helped unite
players in the 1970s. "We owe it to the guys that have come before us to do the
same thing."
Harper, who signed his first major league contract at age 17, also vowed to
fight MLB's proposal to ban a player from signing until he was at least 20
years old by the Sept. 1 of his signing year and two years removed from the
graduating year of his high school class. MLB says college baseball provides a
better development path.
"If you're in the top three rounds as a high school kid, I think you should be
able to do whatever you want," Harper said. "It would really be tough for a guy
like Jackson Holliday to not be the number one pick and not get the chance to
go to the big leagues at 19 or 18 if he's able to."
Bargaining began in May and is expected to resume after the All-Star break. The
union has asked for expanded free agency and salary arbitration rights along
with almost doubling the major league minimum.
Pirates pitcher Braxton Ashcraft viewed the early negotiations as
"back-and-forth proposals that may or may not be unrealistic."
Skenes, a 24-year-old right-hander in his second full big league season, could
see a sharp decrease in potential contract offers under MLB's system. He
currently is on track to become a free agent after the 2029 season and has a
$1,085,000 salary in his last season before arbitration eligibility. He also
has earned nearly $5.6 million from the pre-arbitration bonus pool that started
in 2022.
"MLB is kind of presenting their perfect-world offers and we're kind of
presenting our perfect-world offers," Skenes said. "So there's a lot of time
before there's any real movement, I think."
San Diego's Mason Miller, baseball's top closer, also could become a free agent
following the 2029 season. A 27-year-old right-hander, he is earning $4 million
this season.
"I still have some optimism," he said. "The place that the game's at right now,
I think killing that momentum is kind of fruitless for everybody."
___
AP Assistant Sports Editor Jake Seiner contributed to this report.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
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