MLB players push expanded draft eligibility as labor talks near lockout

Major League Baseball players’ union presented a proposal to broaden amateur draft eligibility, allowing college sophomores as well as current junior‑year players, while keeping the draft at 20 rounds and moving the event back to June. The union also sought to maintain rising slot values through 2027, prevent any reduction of those values, and increase signing‑bonus pools for lower‑revenue teams, including an extra $1 million for playoff‑earning clubs. The proposal contrasts with the league’s plan to cut the draft to 12 rounds, eliminate high‑school and junior‑college eligibility, and introduce a salary cap—an idea the players have vowed never to accept. The existing five‑year collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1, and a management lockout is expected, which would halt off‑season trades, free‑agent signings, and threaten spring‑training and Opening Day. In addition, reporting indicates that MLB’s national media‑rights contracts contain a clause that could automatically extend the deals for an extra year if a lockout causes a threshold number of games to be missed, potentially costing the league billions in additional rights fees. The combined proposals and lockout risk underscore a looming labor confrontation that could disrupt the 2026 season.