MLB's latest CBA proposal aims to create more roster stability
Major League Baseball presented a number of proposals to the MLB Players Association Thursday as negotiations toward a new collective bargaining agreement continue.
Thursday’s issues revolved around transactions, with the idea of reducing roster churn, restoring traditional full-time Major League roles for players and creating more fan engagement during both the season (through roster predictability) and in the offseason.
Among the proposals presented – all of which are contingent upon the installation of a salary cap and floor system – were the creation of weekly rosters, changes to the Rule 5 Draft, and a new offseason transaction calendar that would include a quiet period following the season and a frozen period deeper into the offseason.
“A cap-and-floor system would unlock additional opportunities to improve the game for players and fans, creating more stability in rosters, getting the best players to the Major Leagues more quickly, and accelerating the pace of the offseason,” said MLB spokesperson Glen Caplin. “In our current economic system, these changes would be too harmful to competitive balance and would not be practical.”
Here’s a breakdown of the key proposals made by MLB on Thursday:
Weekly rosters
Under the league’s proposal, which mirrors the current postseason roster rules, teams would be required to set their 26-man active roster every Monday, giving them a window from the end of Sunday’s game until Monday afternoon to make standard roster moves. There would be permitted exceptions for transactions including injuries, bereavement/paternity absences, trades and waiver claims.
In addition, there would be changes to the injured list; the current minimums of 10 days for position players and 15 days for pitchers would be replaced by IL minimums of one full week and two full weeks, respectively. The 60-day IL would also be replaced with a 12-week minimum, though existing 40-man roster exemptions would remain.
The league is also proposing a new limit for in-season options to the Minors of four, down from the current limit of five. The current minimum option assignment periods of 10 days for position players and 15 days for pitchers would also be modified to one full week and two full weeks, respectively.
The active roster would remain at 26 players, though teams would be permitted to carry 14 pitchers instead of the current limit of 13. The weekly average number of pitchers used by teams this season is 13.9.
This reduced transactional frequency would help teams maintain a more consistent roster, allowing fans to build a deeper familiarity with players while also mitigating instability for players.
Another desired residual effect from the proposal would be encouraging longer outings from starting pitchers, creating the importance of bullpen durability and strategic management.
Since 2011, in-season Major League transactions have nearly doubled, making it difficult for fans to recognize and connect with their favorite team’s roster.
In 2025, the league average for players used by Major League teams was 57, topped by the Braves, who used 72 players during the course of the season.
The Mets utilized 46 different pitchers – including 17 unique starters and 39 different relievers – including 36 instances of pitchers being added to the roster for fewer than seven days and 14 pitchers being designated for assignment. Six New York pitchers were optioned to the Minors at least four times, while only 26% of starts by Mets pitchers went at least six innings.
Rule 5 Draft
The league’s proposal included changes to the annual Rule 5 Draft, designed to allow players stuck in deep farm systems to receive more opportunities to make a 40-man roster.
MLB proposed to accelerate Rule 5 Draft eligibility by one year, making players under 20 years old eligible to be selected at the fourth Rule 5 Draft following the signing of their first contract. Players 20 and older would be eligible for selection at the third Rule 5 Draft following the signing of their first contract.
Players selected in the Rule 5 Draft would also be eligible to be optioned to the Minors rather than having to stick on an active Major League roster, though they would be required to remain on the 40-man roster of the club that selected them.
Combined with MLB’s First-Year Player Draft (Domestic) and International Amateur Talent System proposals, most college players could be Rule 5 eligible up to two years earlier than they currently are, while the timeline for most international players would remain status quo.
Offseason calendar
The item that may garner the most attention from fans is the change to the offseason calendar, which is designed to incentivize free agency activity around the annual Winter Meetings.
Under the proposal, the current window for players and clubs to trigger or decline options would remain the five days after the World Series. A “Quiet Period” would follow that window, extending until 12 p.m. ET on the Monday of the Winter Meetings. Teams would be permitted to negotiate with players and agents during that period, though no agreements would be officially finalized. The “Quiet Period” would apply exclusively to free agents, allowing clubs to make trades during that time. Players re-signing with their former team would be allowed to do so during this period.
Free agency would officially open on that Monday of the Winter Meetings, extending through Dec. 21. That window, which would be roughly two-to-three weeks depending on the calendar, would encourage free agent activity that would rival the excitement that leagues including the National Football League and National Basketball Association experience in free agency every year.
From Dec. 21 through the first Monday in February, there would be a “Frozen Period” during which there would be a moratorium on all transactions and contracts involving Major League players. Beginning on the first Monday in February, trades and free-agent signings would once again be permitted as Spring Training approaches.