MLB CBA

[opti mist]

The MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expires on December 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST.

The Cardinals have 4 Contracts that go beyond this date.
Nolan Arenado: $15 million in 2027
Sonny Gray: $30 million club option for 2027 with a $5 million buyout
Wilson Contreras $17.5 million for 2027 with a $17.5 million club option for 2028
Steven Matz $10 million for 2027

I still believe the Cardinals are positioning themselves for a lockout. I do not expect any major commitments beyond 2026.

Opti

[rbirules]

Matz is a FA after this season.

[opti mist]

Matz is a FA after this season.

I believe you are correct.

Cards are positioning themselves for 2027. Really not a bad idea. Who knows what the rules will be under the new CBA?
Cards also could be positioning for a sale if things drag out on the CBA.

Opti

[Jatalk]

The MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expires on December 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST.

The Cardinals have 4 Contracts that go beyond this date.
Nolan Arenado: $15 million in 2027
Sonny Gray: $30 million club option for 2027 with a $5 million buyout
Wilson Contreras $17.5 million for 2027 with a $17.5 million club option for 2028
Steven Matz $10 million for 2027

I still believe the Cardinals are positioning themselves for a lockout. I do not expect any major commitments beyond 2026.

Opti

Could be true. Going into 2026 will be a real clue. How do they handle free agency? Expiring contracts? Hopefully they continue to have a good 2025 that would inspire some additional spending for 2026. But you may be right in that they play the long game.

Personally I’m hoping owners stick to their guns in the negotiations. They have the upper hand.

[redbirdfan51]

I remember the baseball strike of August 1994 which resulted in the cancellation of the playoffs and WS. There were many fans that had had enough and quit following. Another strike like that could be even more of a disaster.

[billybaseball]

Word is that the Owners are going to demand a salary cap and are willing to lose a season. On one hand losing a season would be disastrous for the sport. On the other hand, a cap is 100% necessary at the point. A floor is also 100% necessary. Personally I think the players back down before significant games are lost. Public perception will not side with the players and will be shine very negatively on them. Not to mention the nonstar players are for a cap too.

[mattmitchl44]

The CBA needs to address the growing disparity between the highest paid players and the ML minimum. It's now up to $45, 50, etc. million or a factor of 50x or 60x. That disparity is why small and mid market teams have to choose to hoard more young cost controlled players than ever before.

[rbirules]

Word is that the Owners are going to demand a salary cap and are willing to lose a season. On one hand losing a season would be disastrous for the sport. On the other hand, a cap is 100% necessary at the point. A floor is also 100% necessary. Personally I think the players back down before significant games are lost. Public perception will not side with the players and will be shine very negatively on them. Not to mention the nonstar players are for a cap too.

IMO, a salary cap, and salary floor, can't happen until there is drastic restructuring of revenue sharing, including local TV money. I'm not saying it all has to be shared like in the NFL, the sports are too different, but if this sport wants to survive, let alone thrive, in many markets this has to be done, and this is all on the owner's side.

[Red Bird Classic]

Word is that the Owners are going to demand a salary cap and are willing to lose a season. On one hand losing a season would be disastrous for the sport. On the other hand, a cap is 100% necessary at the point. A floor is also 100% necessary. Personally I think the players back down before significant games are lost. Public perception will not side with the players and will be shine very negatively on them. Not to mention the nonstar players are for a cap too.

You can't have a cap or a floor without real revenue sharing like in the NFL. The big market teams aren't willing to go there, so a cap ain't happening.

[Red Bird Classic]

Word is that the Owners are going to demand a salary cap and are willing to lose a season. On one hand losing a season would be disastrous for the sport. On the other hand, a cap is 100% necessary at the point. A floor is also 100% necessary. Personally I think the players back down before significant games are lost. Public perception will not side with the players and will be shine very negatively on them. Not to mention the nonstar players are for a cap too.

IMO, a salary cap, and salary floor, can't happen until there is drastic restructuring of revenue sharing, including local TV money. I'm not saying it all has to be shared like in the NFL, the sports are too different, but if this sport wants to survive, let alone thrive, in many markets this has to be done, and this is all on the owner's side.

How do you envision revenue sharing that is significantly different from the NFL?

I haven't given the details any thought, but the disparity in TV money is the big problem and that's where the NFL shares money. One big pool and everyone draws equal water from that pool.

The problem with baseball is that owners are well established with team values that are vastly different. The key IMO is finding a way to compensate big-market owners for the loss in revenue and long-term value.

You're dead on that this is entirely an ownership issue. It's their problem, and they have to solve it among themselves. Trying to shift this burden to the players is even worse than doing nothing. It won't work and it'll quicken the death of baseball as a major sport.

[JuanAgosto]

All involved (owners & players), are too out of touch to realize baseball's popularity is waning. A lost season could be disastrous for the sport.

Time for MLB to fix the TV situation, find an agreement on a salary cap and floor. Revenue sharing is the key. Entice the larger markets by setting a cap close to the current top spenders. Set a floor so teams like the Pirates and Marlins cant field minor league rosters.

Im not suggesting total parity. But try to get some sort of balance throughout the league. And while they're at it, learn how to market the (bleep) game, MLB. Make fans want to watch.

[rbirules]

Word is that the Owners are going to demand a salary cap and are willing to lose a season. On one hand losing a season would be disastrous for the sport. On the other hand, a cap is 100% necessary at the point. A floor is also 100% necessary. Personally I think the players back down before significant games are lost. Public perception will not side with the players and will be shine very negatively on them. Not to mention the nonstar players are for a cap too.

IMO, a salary cap, and salary floor, can't happen until there is drastic restructuring of revenue sharing, including local TV money. I'm not saying it all has to be shared like in the NFL, the sports are too different, but if this sport wants to survive, let alone thrive, in many markets this has to be done, and this is all on the owner's side.

How do you envision revenue sharing that is significantly different from the NFL?

I haven't given the details any thought, but the disparity in TV money is the big problem and that's where the NFL shares money. One big pool and everyone draws equal water from that pool.

The problem with baseball is that owners are well established with team values that are vastly different. The key IMO is finding a way to compensate big-market owners for the loss in revenue and long-term value.

You're dead on that this is entirely an ownership issue. It's their problem, and they have to solve it among themselves. Trying to shift this burden to the players is even worse than doing nothing. It won't work and it'll quicken the death of baseball as a major sport.

Like you said if they do nothing they will (eventually) kill the sport as small market teams won't be able to survive and be competitive which hurts the overall product.

It's really hard to get owners of large market teams, with massive local TV revenue and team valuations, to just give up a substantial portion of that value and revenue. They have to buy in like the NFL did 30 or so years ago and decide a prosperous league is better for everybody.

Now will they throw all their local TV money into the pot and share it? No. But they could put a portion of it in the pot. What portion I have no idea. The league needs to find a way to balance those scales long term though. Does it mean a league wide streaming platform with no blackouts that the league shares once local TV deals expire? Teams not being able to sell their TV rights individually after contracts are up? I don't know what the solution is, but this is the biggest driver of the haves and have nots, even more so than attendance if I had to guess (without looking it up).

[Red Bird Classic]

Word is that the Owners are going to demand a salary cap and are willing to lose a season. On one hand losing a season would be disastrous for the sport. On the other hand, a cap is 100% necessary at the point. A floor is also 100% necessary. Personally I think the players back down before significant games are lost. Public perception will not side with the players and will be shine very negatively on them. Not to mention the nonstar players are for a cap too.

IMO, a salary cap, and salary floor, can't happen until there is drastic restructuring of revenue sharing, including local TV money. I'm not saying it all has to be shared like in the NFL, the sports are too different, but if this sport wants to survive, let alone thrive, in many markets this has to be done, and this is all on the owner's side.

How do you envision revenue sharing that is significantly different from the NFL?

I haven't given the details any thought, but the disparity in TV money is the big problem and that's where the NFL shares money. One big pool and everyone draws equal water from that pool.

The problem with baseball is that owners are well established with team values that are vastly different. The key IMO is finding a way to compensate big-market owners for the loss in revenue and long-term value.

You're dead on that this is entirely an ownership issue. It's their problem, and they have to solve it among themselves. Trying to shift this burden to the players is even worse than doing nothing. It won't work and it'll quicken the death of baseball as a major sport.

Like you said if they do nothing they will (eventually) kill the sport as small market teams won't be able to survive and be competitive which hurts the overall product.

It's really hard to get owners of large market teams, with massive local TV revenue and team valuations, to just give up a substantial portion of that value and revenue. They have to buy in like the NFL did 30 or so years ago and decide a prosperous league is better for everybody.

Now will they throw all their local TV money into the pot and share it? No. But they could put a portion of it in the pot. What portion I have no idea. The league needs to find a way to balance those scales long term though. Does it mean a league wide streaming platform with no blackouts that the league shares once local TV deals expire? Teams not being able to sell their TV rights individually after contracts are up? I don't know what the solution is, but this is the biggest driver of the haves and have nots, even more so than attendance if I had to guess (without looking it up).

I think we agree on the main points:

1. Something has to be done. If they don't level the playing field some, small-market teams will eventually fold. Then the league will die.

2. This is the owners problem to solve. The players will have to agree to whatever the owners decide, but this is an owner issue.

3. They have to find some way to share TV/Streaming/cable money. If not all of it, then at least a large portion of it.

I don't know if the small/medium market teams can find a solution and force the biggest teams to go along, but something has to give...and soon.

[Banner29]

I remember the baseball strike of August 1994 which resulted in the cancellation of the playoffs and WS. There were many fans that had had enough and quit following. Another strike like that could be even more of a disaster.

Especially with the sport already losing popularity. The league may not recover and especially here in St. Louis where the fanbase has already been alienated by the owner for the last 5 years and then something like this.

It would be extremely wise of both sides to put their egos and greed to the side in these negotiations(they won’t)

[Red Bird Classic]

I remember the baseball strike of August 1994 which resulted in the cancellation of the playoffs and WS. There were many fans that had had enough and quit following. Another strike like that could be even more of a disaster.

Especially with the sport already losing popularity. The league may not recover and especially here in St. Louis where the fanbase has already been alienated by the owner for the last 5 years and then something like this.

It would be extremely wise of both sides to put their egos and greed to the side in these negotiations(they won’t)

Maybe if we were talking about a group of Buddhist monks. But these are team owners and highly overpaid ballplayers, so no.

But don't let the CBA negotiations mask the real problem in baseball. That's the vast disparity between the value and revenues of individual teams.

[PacNWCardsfan2]

Attendance numbers and viewership is up year over year last 2 years. So more people are tuning in at the present time. That's total.leagie, not individual teams.

Thank you for your time.