On November 3, 2026, MLB proposed a $180.2 million salary floor starting in 2028 and listed the A's among 12 clubs that would have to add payroll to reach it. The A's 2026 Opening Day payroll was reported at $94.7 million. The floor is a bargaining proposal, not a rule.
Only if it survives bargaining. On November 3, 2026, MLB proposed a $180.2 million salary floor starting in 2028 and named the A's among 12 teams below it. Their 2026 Opening Day payroll was reported at $94.7 million, so a floor like that would force big spending. But it is a proposal, not a rule.
The floor is one piece of the owners' cap and floor plan in talks for a new collective bargaining agreement. The players' union has not agreed to any of it, and the current deal expires December 1, 2026. Here is what MLB proposed, where the A's stand against it and what could change before anything is final.
- Status: an MLB proposal in labor talks. Not agreed, not in effect.
- Proposed 2028 floor: $180.2 million.
- Proposed 2028 cap: $258.2 million.
- Teams below the floor: 12, including the A's, per MLB.
- A's 2026 Opening Day payroll: $94.7 million, per Athletics On SI.
- Labor deal expires: December 1, 2026.
What Did MLB Propose on November 3?
MLB and the MLB Players Association held a bargaining session on Tuesday, November 3. According to MLB.com's report by Mark Feinsand, the league proposed that a salary cap and floor system begin in 2028, the second year of a new agreement, instead of 2027.
The new numbers are higher than the first version. MLB's initial plan, detailed by MLB.com on July 31, set a 2027 floor of $171.2 million and a cap of $245.3 million. The November proposal moves the floor to $180.2 million and the cap to $258.2 million for 2028.
MLB gave its reason for the delay. Free agency is already underway, some clubs have 2027 commitments near or above the proposed cap, and others "would need to dramatically increase payrolls this offseason" to reach the floor, MLB.com reported. The league said it is willing to discuss a phase-in timeline.
Are the A's Below the Proposed Salary Floor?
Yes. MLB.com lists 12 clubs that would have to raise payroll by a combined $636 million to meet the $180.2 million floor, based on 2026 payrolls: the Marlins, Guardians, Cardinals, Rays, Nationals, White Sox, Twins, Rockies, Pirates, Athletics, Reds and Brewers. MLB's transition proposal fact sheet gives the same list.
The A's were also below the original $171.2 million floor. As our explainer on the MLB lockout and the A's Las Vegas move noted, Athletics On SI reported in October that the A's 2026 Opening Day payroll was $94.7 million and that they were among 12 teams under that threshold.
How Much More Would the A's Have to Spend?
A lot, but no one has published an exact A's figure. On paper, $94.7 million sits about $85 million under $180.2 million. That gap is a rough guide only. MLB says its cap and floor use CBT payrolls, the figures used for the Competitive Balance Tax, which include player benefit costs, while the $94.7 million number is an Opening Day payroll. The two are not measured the same way.
What is clear is the direction. Under this proposal, the A's could not open 2028, their first season scheduled for the Las Vegas ballpark, with a payroll anywhere near their 2026 level. The floor would require all 30 clubs to comply, according to MLB.com's July explainer.
Is the Salary Floor a Rule Yet?
On November 3, 2026, MLB proposed a $180.
No. Nothing about the floor is settled. It is MLB's offer in negotiations, and the players have pushed back on the cap that comes with it. When owners first proposed a cap in May, union head Bruce Meyer said in a statement, "Billionaire owners are not seeking to cap their profits or asset values, only player salaries," the Associated Press reported.
That leaves three broad outcomes. The floor could land in a final deal as proposed, it could change in amount or timing, or it could be dropped. Until the two sides sign a new agreement, no team, the A's included, has to spend a dollar more because of it.
Why Does a Salary Floor Matter for the A's Move to Las Vegas?
Timing. MLB's proposed start year lines up with the A's planned arrival on the Strip, so the first season in a new building could also be the first season under a payroll minimum, if the floor survives. For fans who have watched the A's run some of the smallest payrolls in baseball, that would be a real change in how the club does business.
It would also shape the job of new general manager Cam Castro, hired November 4. Under a floor, the question for the front office shifts from whether to add salary to where to put it: free agents, extensions for young players, or trades for higher paid veterans.
What Happens Next?
The labor deal expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on December 1, 2026, and a lockout is widely expected if there is no agreement. During a lockout, teams cannot sign or trade for players on 40-man rosters, so any A's spending this winter has a short window. We are logging every move on our A's 2027 offseason tracker, and we will update this page if the floor proposal changes.
The Bottom Line
MLB's newest proposal puts the A's on a list of 12 clubs that would have to spend more under a $180.2 million floor starting in 2028. With a reported $94.7 million Opening Day payroll in 2026, the A's would need a large increase to get there. But it is a bargaining position, not a rule, and it means nothing until a new labor deal is signed.
Sources
- MLB.com, MLB increases cap and floor in latest proposal, sets 2028 target (Mark Feinsand, November 3, 2026)
- MLB.com, Level the Playing Field fact sheet: Transition Proposal (checked November 9, 2026)
- MLB.com, Details of MLB's proposed salary cap and floor system (Mark Feinsand, July 31, 2026)
- Athletics On SI, How MLB Lockout Could Affect Athletics in 2027 (Andrew L. Ferguson Jr., October 7, 2026)
- Associated Press via WTOP, MLB owners propose a salary cap for the first time since baseball's 1994-95 strike (May 28, 2026)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is MLB's proposed salary floor?
In its November 3, 2026 proposal, MLB set a projected 2028 salary floor of $180.2 million and a cap of $258.2 million. Every club would have to spend at least the floor. It is a bargaining proposal, not a rule.
Are the A's below the proposed salary floor?
Yes. MLB.com names the Athletics among 12 clubs that would have to raise payroll, by a combined $636 million, to reach the $180.2 million floor, based on 2026 payrolls. The A's were also below MLB's original $171.2 million proposal.
What was the A's 2026 payroll?
Athletics On SI reported the A's 2026 Opening Day payroll at $94.7 million. MLB measures its cap and floor with CBT payrolls, which include benefit costs, so that figure is not a direct match for the floor.
Is the MLB salary floor official?
No. The salary floor is part of MLB's offer in talks with the players' union for a new collective bargaining agreement. The union has opposed a salary cap, and nothing is final until both sides sign a new deal.
When would a salary floor start?
MLB's latest proposal would begin the cap and floor system in 2028, the second year of a new agreement, because free agency had already started. That is also the A's first season scheduled for the Las Vegas ballpark.
When does MLB's current labor deal expire?
At 11:59 p.m. ET on December 1, 2026. A lockout is widely expected if there is no new agreement, and teams cannot sign or trade for 40-man roster players during a lockout.
