MLB proposes massive changes to free agency, roster rules in CBA talks

Major League Baseball has proposed a massive change to the free agency period as part of the latest developments in the ongoing collective bargaining talks with the MLB Players Association, which drew a strong rebuke from interim executive director Bruce Meyer. The league is proposing a three-week free agent signing window that would take place from the start of the Winter Meetings in early December through Dec.21 before reopening on the first Monday in February prior to the start of spring training, according to multiple reports. The dramatic change is an attempt by Major League Baseball to create a frenzied period of offseason transactions similar to what takes place with the NBA and NFL and would be contingent on a salary cap being put in place. The offseason changes would also ban all trades from taking place between the gaps of the proposed free agent windows, though MLB clubs would still be allowed to negotiate deals with players beginning five days after the end of the World Series. The league has also proposed changes to the league’s roster rules and to the Rule 5 Draft. In comments to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Meyer suggested that MLB was promoting the proposal as “player-friendly” by going “through their propaganda arm.” “MLB expressly conditioned these proposals on the players’ agreement to a salary cap system, which would drastically reduce overall player compensation, eliminate fully guaranteed contracts through escrow, and turn back the clock on fundamental player rights,” Meyer said.

“Their latest proposals regarding free agency would eliminate player rights by establishing an artificial free agency window, subject to a salary cap, which would reduce player leverage and create a game of musical chairs pitting player vs.player.” He also labeled the suggestion that a salary cap would limit roster turnover “entirely unserious” and alleged that MLB is “not interested in any changes that don’t directly reduce the rights of ...