Высшая лига бейсбол

MLB CAP зарплата? Локаут? Роб Манфред, баланс Tony Clark от MLBPA Tony Clark

Обновлено 15 июля, 2025 г., 5:10 вечера

Deesha Thosar

MLB Writer

ATLANTA – As MLB commissioner Rob Manfred looks to improve competitive balance in the league, Tony Clark, the executive director of the MLB Players Association, made his position on the possibility of a salary cap abundantly clear on Tuesday.

«This is institutionalized collusion,» Clark said. «That’s what a salary cap is.»

Manfred and Clark separately spoke to members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America hours before Tuesday’s All-Star Game. They touched on a variety of topics, including the possibility of a lockout after baseball’s labor deal expires on Dec. 1, 2026.

Baseball is the only North American sport that does not have a salary cap, largely because the players’ union has remained unified and steadfast in its opposition, while MLB owners have continued to push for it several times since the 1970s. Their most recent serious push for a salary cap was in 1994, when the sport’s economics led to a player’s strike and the cancellation of that year’s World Series.

«A cap is not about a partnership. A cap is not about growing the game,» Clark said. «That’s not what a cap is about. As has been offered publicly, a cap is about franchise values and profits. That’s what a cap is about. If there are ways that we need to improve the existing system to polish some of the rough edges that otherwise exist, we have made proposals to do that. We will continue to make proposals to do that, and believe that that’s the best way to go.»

Even though top leaders in the players’ union have publicly stated that Manfred is pushing for a salary cap as he meets with teams for the third straight year, the commissioner denied that notion on Tuesday.

«When I talk to the players, I don’t try to convince them that a salary cap system would be a good thing,» Manfred said. «Literally, what I say to them is, I identify a problem in the media business and explain to them that owners need to change to address that problem.

«I then identify a second problem that we need to work together. And that is that there are fans, and a lot of our markets who feel like we have a competitive balance problem.»

The Mets’ payroll is only surpassed by the Dodgers among the MLB ranks. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

«I’ve never used the word salary within one of cap. What I do say to them is, in addressing this competitive issue that’s real, you should think about whether this system is the perfect system from a player’s perspective. My only goal there is not to convince them of one system or another, but is to convince them that everybody going to the table with an open mind to try to address a problem that’s fan-driven, leads to a better collective bargaining process and a better outcome.»

Manfred has expressed concern over the way fans view the disparity in payrolls and revenues across MLB. The New York Mets’ payroll ($332 million), bankrolled by the richest owner in the sport, Steve Cohen, is the second-highest in MLB behind the Los Angeles Dodgers ($341 million). On the complete other end of the spectrum this season are the Miami Marlins, with a payroll of $67 million.

The commissioner has maintained that fans of small-market teams, like the Pittsburgh Pirates, view the apparent lack of equality as unfair, because someone like Cohen, who has a net worth north of $21 billion, can spend his unlimited resources to build a better team, while other clubs don’t have the same financial flexibility to improve their rosters or even keep their star players when they reach free agency.

It’s important to note that, since MLB is a private business, teams are not required to share their finances with the public. As such, the players’ union believes that teams have the money, but they choose not to spend it.

«A salary cap, historically, has limited contract guarantees associated,» Clarke said. «Literally, [it] Ямы один игрок против другого. И это часто то, что мы делимся с игроками как окончательной неконкурентной системой.

«Это не вознаграждает превосходство. Это подрывает его с организационной точки зрения. Вот почему речь идет не о конкурентном балансе. Речь идет не о справедливости против нет.

«Здесь нет иллюзий величия в отношении того, что стоит услышать, и каково это интерес с другой стороны. В результате игрокам говорят так же, как».

Основываясь на том, насколько далеко друг от друга находятся две стороны, примерно за 16 месяцев до истечения срока труда, это является твердым признаком того, что это может быть самым враждебным коллективным переговором по бейсболу с 1994-95 годов, когда это будет стоить игры лиги в графике. Несмотря на то, что в декабре 2021 года истек сделка с предыдущей рабочей силой, и, как следствие, весенняя тренировка была отложена в 2022 году, лига и профсоюз достигли сделки в марте без каких -либо игр.

«Мы можем сидеть за столом, и мы можем оказаться на остановке на работе в 12:01, 1 декабря следующего года», — сказал Кларк. «[Players] готовятся к этому, надеясь, что это действительно не так ».

Deesha Thosar Охватывает Бейсбол Высшей лиги в качестве репортера и обозревателя для Fox Sports. Ранее она освещала Mets в качестве репортера Beat для New York Daily News. Дочь индийских иммигрантов, Деша выросла на Лонг -Айленде и сейчас живет в Квинсе. Следите за ней в Твиттере в @DeeshathosarПолем

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