MLB Proposes Two Free-Agency Windows as Union Pushes Back

Major League Baseball has proposed a new offseason calendar that would concentrate free-agent signings into two periods, according to Field Level Media. Under the plan, the first signing window would open on the Monday of the Winter Meetings and close December 21. A second window would begin on the first Monday in February, shortly before spring training.

Teams and players could negotiate before the first window, but agreements involving players from other clubs could not be finalized until it opened. The period between December 21 and February would freeze major-league signings and trades. MLB argues that a shorter calendar could create the concentrated attention generated by free agency in the NFL and NBA.

The proposal is part of collective-bargaining talks and is contingent on the players accepting a salary cap. The MLB Players Association rejected both the artificial signing windows and the cap condition, arguing that the structure would reduce player leverage. The disagreement makes the proposal more than a scheduling idea: it is another dividing line in negotiations over how baseball distributes money and control.