Players Union Scorns MLB's Delayed-Cap Offer as Lockout Looms

Baseball's labour fight sharpened on Tuesday as the players union scorned Major League Baseball's latest proposal, which would delay a salary cap by a year until 2028. The league's offer sets a proposed $258.2 million cap and a $180.2 million floor, with MLB projecting that 12 teams would need to raise payroll by a combined $636 million to reach the floor while eight clubs — the Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Blue Jays, Padres, Red Sox and Cubs — would have to cut $528 million to comply. The package also raises the minimum salary to $1 million for players with at least two years of major-league service and $900,000 for those with less, agrees to lower free agency from six years to five for players aged 30 and older, and eliminates the qualifying offer system. The union's swift rejection was expected: players have refused a cap for 30 years and see the 2027 terms as a bad deal, with no increase to luxury-tax thresholds among the sticking points. With the current agreement expiring at 11:59 p.m. ET on December 1, owners are widely expected to lock players out the next day.