We have all seen the discontent from the players union and major league ballplayers about this offseason and a readjustment in front office thinking about player valuation.

This has been coupled with 3 major spenders sitting out this offseason to reset the luxery tax committements and several clubs (low spending) going into rebuild mode. This has left a small number of teams as possible destinations for this years free agent crop and a remarkable price drop in the contracts the players have signed (against the mlbtraderumors early offseason estimates).

After the 2021 season and the end of the current contract, I feel if this market continues we could be looking at the following issue items to avoid a strike from the players standpoint.

1a. Minimum spending requirement for all major league teams (guessing this would be in the $90 - $100) million range to prevent total dumping and it could be higher.

1b. Abolishing the salary cap and luxery tax

Players would insist on one of the two above to loosen spending by teams

2. Cutting original team control to 5 years maybe 4 with arbitration in year 3. This would have more players reaching free agency in their prime and increase players earning power within the prime years of their career.

3. Cutting option years to 2 for minor leaguers and having minor league free agency after 5 years. This would prevent big money teams from stockpiling talent and using their AAA farm club as a rotating 40 man player roster.

4. Raise the minimum major league wage to $1,000,000. This would allow players to make enough money even on a medium length career.

5. Insist on a full system of draft for all players in the world. Set hard money limits as to which draft picks are paid how much (more of a pro football system). This will prevent the games major spending teams play to get picks to tell teams what they want to be paid and allowing teams to play the game of draft picks knowing what team they will probably play for. System is now that for a very good high school senior their representative telling teams what the player will sign for, allowing deals to be cut since they already know of a team that will pay the high school senior that amount, Twins did this game with Enlow this year.

There may be more items, please discuss.

We are seeing with the end of the steroid era, a return to where physical ability on midlevel players drops in the early 30's and most major league players never see a free agent payday. These above would help fix that issue in favor of the players.

With the number of small and midmarket teams that struggle to compete on a yearly basis, I feel that some adjustment is needed to make it work. That being given you are never going to get a hard salary cap passed by the players. The players have to realize that they have to work for the good of all players, not just the major league players getting their way and dumping on the minor league players.