MLBPA submits third collective bargaining proposal focused on roster rules and player protections

Major League Baseball Players Association leadership made its third proposal in the ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations with MLB on Wednesday, positioning the latest counteroffer around day-to-day roster management rather than broad new financial reworking. According to reports from the talks, the union’s package does not include financial adjustments beyond changes that would follow naturally from roster use and manipulation.

The proposal’s most immediate operational change would increase the active roster size from 26 to 28 players for the first 15 days of the season, with a cap of 14 pitchers. The stated aim, as described in coverage of the proposal, is to give teams more time to make early roster decisions while also offering veterans the option of less playing time at the start of the year.

Another major component targets the timing of injured-list placement and how it interacts with offseason roster flexibility. The proposal would allow teams to move players to the 60-day injured list as early as the November period tied to tender deadlines, which would be an earlier point than what is currently available under the existing structure, according to reporting on the proposal.

Demotion rules are also part of the package. The union would reduce the number of times a player can be optioned to the minor leagues in a season from five to three. In the same general area, the proposal would adjust how service time and pay work for certain pitchers when they are optioned around the All-Star break, creating a pathway to major league compensation and service time for optioned pitchers who meet specific workload conditions in the week leading up to the break.

The proposal also includes what negotiators would treat as downstream offseason consequences. Coverage of the talks indicates the union wants the Rule 5 draft to be held in November rather than December in the year the CBA expires, a shift intended to ensure player eligibility before any possible lockout timing comes into play.

Beyond roster and draft mechanics, the union proposal reportedly seeks expanded player access to performance-related information teams already track internally, arguing players should have a legal right to view the same data the club has about their performance. It also addresses labor timing through a proposed move of the trade deadline window to July 21-27 from the later July period, with an additional condition described as keeping the deadline two full days ahead of any signing deadline for drafted players.

For fans, the practical takeaway is that the next stage of negotiations could focus less on headline salary numbers and more on the rules that shape who plays, when players are moved between levels, and how quickly clubs can position rosters as the season begins. What to watch next is whether MLB’s negotiating group responds by accepting, modifying, or rejecting these roster-rule changes, since they could immediately affect how teams build depth and manage veteran playing time even before any new CBA is fully finalized.