Here's why Reds fans will be among the few to support MLB's proposed CBA changes

The collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the Player's Association is set to expire later this year. There's already been the lingering threat of a lockout which could cause a work stoppage and subtract games from the 2027 schedule.

Baseball fans will inevitably choose a side in the upcoming labor battle, but interestingly enough, some issues could split fandoms. The notion of billionaires and millionaires bickering back and forth over money oftentimes irritates your run-of-the-mill baseball fan, but there's something in MLB's initial proposal to the union that Cincinnati Reds will really like.

According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN, the league has proposed both a salary cap and a salary floor as part of their initial proposition to the Player's Association. Everyone knew that a salary cap would be part of MLB's proposal, but few probably assumed that salary floor would be included.

According to Rogers, MLB proposed a hard salary cap of $245.3 million with a salary floor of $171.1 million beginning in 2027. According to FanGraphs, the Reds' 2026 estimated payroll is $128 million, meaning that they'd need to add an additional $43.2 million in order to be in compliance with the figures released from the league's first proposal.

Reds fans would support a salary cap & floor during contract negotiations

For the better part of 10 years (and arguably more), Reds fans have practically been begging Bob and Phil Castellini and the ownership group to spend this type of money to help build a championship contender in the city of Cincinnati. Those cries for increased spending have been met with constant rebuttals from ownership, including Phil Castellini's infamous line, "Where ya gonna go?"

To be completely fair, while Cincinnati still trails more than half of the league in spending, the Reds increased their payroll this season after adding Eugenio Suárez on a one-year, $15 million deal despite the initial plan to keep expenditures at 2025 levels.

Currently, only six teams (New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, and Atlanta Braves) are above the proposed ceiling. Another 15 clubs, including the Reds, are below the salary floor. That means on nine teams are operating within the proposed budgetary limits.

Fans should keep in mind that this is merely a starting point, and these negotiations are likely to extend into the offseason and possibly even spring training and the regular season. The Player's Association has constantly rejected the idea of a salary cap, but there seems to be momentum on the league's side when it comes to this particular issue — especially among fans of small-market teams like the Reds.

Not only would the salary floor force the Castellini's and the Reds' ownership group to invest more money into the team's payroll, but it would prevent organizations like the Dodgers, Yankees, and Mets from buying up all the elite talent.

Furthermore, rather than seeking a big pay day with the handful of big-market teams, several small-to-mid market stars may opt to sign long-term deals with their current organizations. Reds fans are already counting down the days until Elly De La Cruz departs via free agency, but the CBA negotiations could open a new window for future contract talks.

This proposal looks like a win-win for the Reds fanbase, but there's a long way to go until the new CBA makes its way to the finish line.

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