MLB Proposes Delaying Salary Cap Start Until 2028 In Talks With Players

Owners proposed a hard salary cap starting in 2028 — $258.2M cap and $180.2M floor (teams can be 90% of the floor in year one) — a plan the players’ union has already said it will reject and that could trigger another work stoppage.
Several big-market clubs (Boston, Yankees, Dodgers, Mets, Cubs, Phillies, Padres, Blue Jays) would need to cut a combined ~$528M, while a dozen smaller teams would need to add about $636M — a shakeup that could drive trades and roster moves.
Owners floated player-friendly changes too: earlier free agency for some, higher minimums (roughly $1M for some MLB vets and boosts to MiLB pay), a one-time service-time bonus and a larger pre-arbitration bonus pool.