Manfred’s Bold Strategy: Challenging MLB Players Directly

Commissioner’s Plan to Reshape Baseball’s Future Sparks Controversy

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is engaging in a direct appeal to players, bypassing the union leadership. This unusual tactic signals his intent to drive significant changes in the league’s financial and operational structure as the current collective bargaining agreement nears its end.

Manfred’s Core Arguments

Manfred believes the MLB Players Association leadership is out of step with its members. Over the last three years, he has been addressing players in annual meetings. He highlights the need for free agency deadlines and suggests player salaries could be significantly higher. He’s also pushing for a cap on player salaries.

“There seems to be kind of a mismatch between what we see at the union leadership level and what the players are thinking,”

—Rob Manfred, MLB Commissioner

Tony Clark, union head, views Manfred’s approach as a “sales pitch” and a tactic to sow discord. At an investor event, Manfred discussed his labor approach, criticizing the union and detailing his strategy in a way he hadn’t done in years. The end of the CBA in December 2026 looms, making negotiations crucial, which will likely begin next summer.

The MLB is currently enjoying record revenues. However, the players’ share of that revenue has been shrinking over the years. According to a 2024 report from Forbes, MLB revenue was $10.7 billion, demonstrating the financial stakes at play.

The Commissioner’s Concerns

Manfred aims to alter MLB’s media rights and revenue-sharing. He hints at introducing a salary cap. A salary cap is typically implemented in other major sports leagues in North America. However, it is a concept that the MLB Players Association has consistently opposed.

Manfred has been meeting with teams annually for three seasons, a practice he began after the last lockout concluded in March 2022. He believes there’s a disconnect between the union and players’ perspectives, pointing to the close vote on the last labor deal.

In his meetings, Manfred asks players about the current system’s benefits. He notes that baseball salaries have grown slowest among major sports over the past two decades, and states, “To me, that that’s a failure on our part.” He says that 10% of the league’s players take home 72% of the money. Manfred says that free agency is a slow process of attrition.

The Stakes Involved

Manfred argues that in 2002, 63% of revenue was spent on players, while today it is 47%. He contends that had a 50-50 revenue-sharing deal been in place 10 years ago, players would have earned billions more. He has not stated definitively whether owners will implement another lockout.

Clark contests MLB’s figures, calling Manfred’s messaging a misleading sales pitch. Manfred noted the importance of improving MLB franchise values, and centralized revenue, which would likely boost franchise sales. The league is trying to increase the strength of the business. It remains to be seen if Manfred’s direct outreach will sway players.