Hal Steinbrenner was not fond of answering questions about Major League Baseball’s labor negotiations with the players’ association, but he came as close as possible to answering a very important one.
When asked at the New York Yankees’ postmortem presser if he was in favor of a salary cap, the team’s owner said he “support[s]” the owners’ proposals – all of which include a cap.
“I’ve said before – let me put it this way as a member of the labor policy committee – I helped craft, one of many, the proposals that we have given at the bargaining table. And I support those proposals in their entirety. That’s absolutely the case, so that should answer your question,” Steinbrenner told reporters.
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Yankees principal owner Hal Steinbrenner speaks during a press conference at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on Dec. 21, 2022. (Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
“What I will say is as a member of the labor policy committee is that we are working hard on our end. We are completely focused on the task ahead of us, on the negotiating. And I’m optimistic we’re gonna get a deal done, and we”e gonna get a deal done that’s favorable for both sides.”
Players have adamantly opposed a salary cap and said it is non-negotiable. The owners are expected to lock out the players on Dec. 1, when the current collective bargaining agreement expires.
The Yankees’ $336 million payroll was the third-largest in baseball during the 2026 season, behind the Los Angeles Dodgers ($422 million) and New York Mets ($338 million).
Arguments skew both ways, but a constant has remained in that the highest payrolls continue to go up, while the lowest payrolls remain at a stall. The Marlins’ payroll is actually roughly half of what it used to be in 2017, despite a sale of the team and everyone in the league making more money than ever. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have already committed more money in 2030 than 12 teams have this season.
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and owner Hal Steinbrenner speak during a press conference regarding changes to the Yankees facial hair policy during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., on Feb. 21, 2025. (Thomas A. Ferrara/Getty Images)
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MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has said that owners are simply “listening to our fans” regarding a salary cap and said it “defies human experience… to think that the bottom end of that [payroll] gap has the same opportunity to win the top end.” It should be noted, though, that the National League-winning Milwaukee Brewers swept the Dodgers with the 11th-smallest payroll, and they will be facing the Tampa Bay Rays, who have the league’s third-smallest payroll. They defeated the Cleveland Guardians, who rank 29th in payroll, in the American League Division Series.
Major League Baseball has never had a salary cap.
“Salary cap is the ultimate excuse not to compete. It’s the ultimate excuse for an owner to say, ‘Gee, I would like to make the team better, but you know I can’t,'” interim MLBPA executive director Bruce Meyer said during the All-Star break. “Salary caps are bad for fans. Salary caps prevent teams from doing the things that they believe are in their interest to make the team better.”
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred before game four of the 2024 MLB World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)
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“Every team in baseball can afford to compete, many are choosing not to,” Meyer added. “To me, that’s the biggest problem right now.”
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Steinbrenner mentioned Wednesday that the Yankees’ payroll in 2026 was the highest in franchise history.