If you are curious why the upcoming CBA negotiations between Major League Baseball and the Players Union are going to be contentious, you need look no further than the 2016 agreement for answers. That agreement ushered in the Competitive Balance Tax which has effectively served as a salary cap which has suppressed spending by several big-spending teams.
After operating two straight seasons over the tax, the Yankees are expected to drop below the tax level in 2021 and no other team appears to be in line to clear it. As ESPN’s Buster Olney writes, that is bad news for players who are free agents this winter.