The Los Angeles Dodgers would be the most obvious target of MLB’s proposed $245.3 million salary cap ceiling, but they are far from the only team operating above that line.
The proposal matters because it would fundamentally change how the league’s biggest spenders build their rosters. Instead of simply taxing high payrolls, a hard cap would force every team to stay below a fixed ceiling.
That is why the current payroll landscape looks so explosive. Several contenders are already operating above the number owners have put on the table.
Los Angeles Dodgers lead MLB teams sitting above proposed $245.3 million cap ceiling
In an Underdog MLB post, the teams above the proposed ceiling showed exactly why the cap idea would hit baseball’s biggest spenders first.
The Dodgers are way out in front at $418 million, while the Mets sit at $383 million and the Yankees are at $335 million. The Blue Jays would also be over the line at $322 million, with the Phillies close behind at $315 million.
After that, the Red Sox are still above the proposed ceiling at $263 million, followed by the Padres at $259 million, the Braves at $249 million, the Tigers at $246 million and the Cubs barely over the mark at $245.5 million.
That group shows why the proposal would create instant pressure. It does not only affect the Dodgers and Mets; it reaches clubs in different markets with very different roster-building timelines.
MLB proposal would pair $245.3 million cap ceiling with $171.2 million floor
The wider CBA proposal is not only about limiting the top. Owners have also floated a payroll floor of $171.2 million for 2027, meaning low-spending teams would be pushed up while high-spending teams would be pushed down.
That would replace baseball’s current luxury-tax model with something much closer to the hard-cap systems used in other major leagues.
Owners can argue the plan would create tighter payroll bands and reduce the gap between teams. The MLBPA sees it differently, warning that cap systems limit player earning power and do not actually guarantee better competition or cheaper tickets.
The Dodgers are the obvious example of what would change. Under the proposed ceiling, a team spending over $400 million would have to make massive adjustments just to fit into the new structure.
But the Cubs’ $245.5 million figure is just as telling. Even a team barely over the line would be affected if the cap were enforced strictly.
That is why this proposal is already being treated as a major labor flashpoint. A $245.3 million ceiling would not be a soft suggestion; it would redraw the limits of roster building across MLB.
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