Where players had some of their most notable advancements was in how young players will be compensated. The jump from a minimum salary of $570,500 in 2022 to $700,000 in 2023 is the biggest single-year increase in major league history. A $50 million bonus pool will be created for top young players who are not yet eligible for raises under salary arbitration.
In a phone interview, Gerrit Cole, a star Yankees pitcher and a top union leader, also pointed to other gains: a lottery for the top six spots in the domestic amateur draft so “if an owner is hellbent on tanking, that’s his prerogative, but it’s going to be a lot harder to do that.” Cole also said the union had gained the right to give a full year of service time to players who finish in the top two in Rookie of the Year Award voting, avoiding another Kris Bryant situation.
Manfred called this labor deal “an olive branch” in terms of building a better relationship with players. He also said the moves favoring players in this agreement, such as in the luxury tax system, would “probably” lead to “a little different market results.”
Asked if the measures players had sought would be enough to address their original concerns, Clark said that he was hopeful but that time would tell over the next five years. Meyer noted that there had been instances in which players had pushed for more in certain areas, such as how to address tanking, but that owners had resisted.
“Some of the changes that we’ve put in a new C.B.A. will be felt over time,” he added. “Some of these things aren’t going to kick in overnight. Things like the draft lottery, promoting competition and other ones are not necessarily going to be seen yet.”