Baseball’s All-Stars, including players who also serve in the players’ union negotiating structure, react negatively to MLB’s proposed salary cap but say there is still time to reach an agreement before any major disruption. According to quotes reported by multiple outlets, players such as Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes—along with other All-Stars including Juan Soto and Bryce Harper—say a salary cap is unlikely to be accepted by players. However, they also indicate that negotiations have room to avoid a conflict that could affect the 2027 season.
Skenes, who is part of the union’s eight-man negotiating committee, describes both sides as having “line[s]” they will not cross, suggesting hard positions remain on the core terms. The timing of the negotiations is a central concern: the current five-year labor agreement expires on Dec. 1. After that expiration, MLB is expected to move immediately toward a player lockout. The reported remarks frame the upcoming labor negotiations as potentially contentious, while still leaving open the possibility of a compromise before an extended shutdown risk materializes.
