Major League Baseball has proposed a plan that would concentrate free-agent signings into specific weeks during the offseason, aiming to create a more concentrated period of transactions. The proposal, submitted to the players' association on Thursday, suggests limiting signings to several weeks in December and then again in early February.
Under the proposed system, trades would be prohibited during the gap between these signing periods. MLB's goal with this structure is to emulate the flurry of activity often seen in the National Football League and National Basketball Association offseasons. This proposal is contingent on the adoption of a salary cap system that MLB put forward in May, a concept the players' union has previously stated it will not accept.
In addition to changes in the free agency process, the league also proposed reducing the maximum number of times a player can be optioned to the minor leagues during the season from five to four. The plan also includes the implementation of a weekly roster system.
When the 26-man roster limit is in effect from the start of the season through August 31, teams would be permitted to carry 14 pitchers, an increase from the current limit of 13. The players' association has not yet issued a public response to the new proposal.