MLB commissioner says MLBPA criticism of salary cap ads unfairJesse RogersJul 14, 2026, 11:32 AM ETClose
- Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.
PHILADELPHIA — MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and MLBPA interim executive director Bruce Meyer shared differing views on the “Level the Field” advertising campaign expressing the league’s desire for a salary cap within the next collective bargaining agreement.
The ads have been airing this season in an attempt to retain public support for their new economic system, and they come as the league boasts increased attendance and a general positive vibe about the product on the field.
“I think when you have a difficult public issue, particularly when the other side of the issue is being very public about what their views are on the negotiation, I think it’s incumbent on us to keep our fans informed of our view of the world,” Manfred mentioned Tuesday morning from the All-Star Game. “Particularly given sometimes the other side may not be completely accurate or fair in terms of their recitation of what’s going on.”
Meyer fired back, insisting the league can’t have it both ways, and declared the sport is in a good place but it also needs more fixing.
“I have watched over the last two years [how] the owners, the Commissioner’s Office, try to convince fans, the consumers of their product, that the product is broken,” Meyer mentioned. “I think it’s perverse. Case in point is leading up to this All-Star Game, any of us who watch baseball … are seeing ads not so much for the All-Star Game, not promoting the game, not promoting the players, [but] promoting the league’s desire for a salary cap.”
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The acrimony over the ads highlights the early, bumpy stages of the labor negotiations which could extend into next season. The current CBA expires on Dec.1 and all signs point to an extended lockout before any agreement on a new one can be reached. The league has offered a first-ever salary cap and floor as part of its next CBA while the union responded with a mechanism to increase spending at the bottom but without a hard limit at the top.
Despite the popularity of the sport and increased attendance that the league likes to highlight, MLB insists a salary cap is needed in order to maintain “momentum.”
“We’ve got that momentum by listening to our fans and making changes that candidly the MLBPA was not interested in,” Manfred mentioned in regard to the pitch clock and other rule changes. “Those changes have paid off in terms of creating that momentum. And the best way to lose momentum is to stand still.”
Meyer views it the other way around. He says the league is “putting on the table” an issue which the union has never warmed up to, which in its own way will lead to a loss of momentum. It’s at least likely to lead to a work stoppage.
“If they do a lockout, that’ll be a choice,” Meyer mentioned. “That’ll be an owner’s choice.”
Manfred cites public polling as a key talking point for a salary cap, insisting it’s what small market fans want. His argument comes down to a simple observation: Current payroll disparity is not conducive to a competitive league.
“The gap is $441 million,” Manfred mentioned. “It defies human experience to ask a fan to think that the bottom end of that gap has the same opportunity to win as the top end.”
The union has never viewed that gap as a roadblock to winning, citing competitive teams in smaller markets like Tampa Bay and Cleveland. They also believe a cap does the opposite of its desired intent.
“The owners want a system that not only guarantees their profits, not only increases their franchise values, but essentially is a form of subsidized mediocrity,” Meyer mentioned. “A salary cap is the ultimate excuse not to compete.”
Manfred was asked if the smaller markets being competitive hurt his argument for a salary cap.
“It gives Bruce talking points,” Manfred mentioned. “We know that. But I think from our perspective, the more important issue is what is the aggregate data over time? I think our view of the world is that over a very long period of time, there’s a very strong relationship between who gets into playoffs and who proceeds.”
In other words, only the high spenders tend to win it all. A smaller market hasn’t won a World Series since the Kansas City Royals in 2015.
Manfred was also asked about potential input on labor negotiations from President Donald Trump, who has already stated that he thinks a salary cap would be good for the sport.
“I think it would be wildly, wildly inappropriate for me to speculate about what the President of the United States might do or not do in a hypothetical situation,” Manfred mentioned. “We know this. He is a great sports fan and he is really knowledgeable about the business of sports, so it doesn’t surprise me he’s interested. But beyond that, I’m going to pass.”
