MLBPA Sounds Alarm and Rejects MLB’s ‘Flat-Out Bad’ CBA Proposal

The negotiations between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association certainly haven't gotten easier yet.

The first round of proposals from the two sides was shut down. The league proposed a salary cap and a salary floor, among many other things and actually got some goodwill from fans around the league. The league's initial proposals were actually praised for the salary floor and the MLBPA was ripped. Now, of course, neither side has been able to garner goodwill from the other side, but opinions have come in from fans, talking heads, and players alike.

The league arguably won the first public relations battle, but lost all the goodwill they got on Thursday with a wild proposal that would completely overhaul the amateur-entry system in the league by taking high school kids out of the MLB Draft, shortening the draft to 12 rounds, adding an international draft, and cutting the bonus pool from the current $358.7 million to $200 million. All in all, a surprising proposal that immediately when it was reported had no chance of making it through the negotiating process.

The MLBPA Responded

Bucket of Baseballs — Baseballs sit in a bucket during the KSHSAA Class 4A semifinal game at Tointon Family Stadium in Manhattan on May 28, 2026. | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Unsurprisingly, the MLBPA responded and didn't mince their words, as shared on X by ESPN's Jorge Castillo.

"Today, MLB made another set of proposals that are flat out bad for baseball, ones that would cripple the next generation of players and damage the future of our game," the MLBPA's statement read. "They would, among other things: Eliminate over a billion dollars in player compensation from the international and domestic system over the next five years, with a $400 million reduction from 2026 to 2027 alone. Destroy fundamental player rights and remove talent from our sport by barring high school and junior college players (anyone under age 20) from the domestic draft. Abolish an entire year of international signins by delaying the first draft until at least September of 2027."

The MLBPA released this statement on MLB’s amateur entry proposals. pic.twitter.com/8FKI7yJ0S8
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) June 18, 2026

Again, the league's first offers actually were received well by fans. But the proposals on Thursday were shocking, to say the least. Think of some of the young guys in the league right now, like Konnor Griffin of the Pittsburgh Pirates, for example. He was drafted out of high school and shot his way up to the big leagues at 19 years old and now is batting .270 in 51 games played in the majors. He has been a massive success story for the league this season and that just wouldn't be the case if these rules were put in place.

That's just one example, but these new rules would essentially make the pool of players coming into the league in a given year smaller, and therefore cost less. That's the crux of it. It certainly would be surprising to see it get through.

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