Major League Baseball put forth some changes on Thursday to significantly alter offseason transactions, specifically free agency.
By restricting the free agency signing period like the NFL or NBA, the hope is to create more excitement for fans.
MLB wants free agency to start on the Monday of the winter meetings, which generally take place in early December. Teams would have until Dec. 21 to finalize and announce signings until another window opens on the first Monday of February, prior to spring training.
In addition, no trades or free agent additions could be made between the two windows.
Negotiations with players formerly on other teams still could take place beginning five days after the World Series ends, but contracts with such players could not be signed until the first window.
MLB’s proposals are part of the negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, but they would be contingent upon the players agreeing to a salary cap.
“A cap-and-floor system would unlock additional opportunities to improve the game for players and fans, creating more stability in rosters, getting the best players to the major leagues more quickly, and accelerating the pace of the offseason,” MLB spokesperson Glen Caplin said in a statement. “In our current economic system, these changes would be too harmful to competitive balance and would not be practical.”
The Major League Baseball Players Association responded via a statement on Thursday by rejecting the “artificial” free agent window, saying it “would reduce player leverage and create a game of musical chairs pitting player vs. player.”
“The suggestion that the only way to limit roster churn, or incentivize earlier free agent signings is with a salary cap is entirely unserious,” Bruce Meyer, the interim executive director of the MLBPA, said in the statement. “Players have proposed changes that would address these priorities, but the league is not interested in any changes that don’t directly reduce the rights of all players and shift leverage to the owners.”
MLB also wants teams to set their 26-man rosters each Monday during the season, mirroring how some baseball fantasy leagues operate. Changes could be made later in the week involving players going on the injured list, bereavement list or paternity list or for trades or waiver claims.
Other parts of the proposal include requiring that position players remain on the IL for at least a full Monday-to-Monday week and pitchers remain out for two Monday-to-Monday weeks; players would have a maximum of four minor league options per season, down from five; teams could keep 14 pitchers on the roster, compared to the current limit of 13; and players would be eligible for the Rule 5 draft earlier than they are currently, and Rule 5 selections would not have to remain on the major league roster for the entire season.
