MLBPA Pushes for Bigger Rosters, Demotion Limits

The Major League Baseball Players Association has tabled a new labor proposal that would expand active rosters and limit team demotions, moves designed to slash player workload and shore up job security mid-season. Under the MLBPA’s latest offer, teams would be permitted to carry more than the current 26-man limit during the regular season, a change intended to ease the strain on pitching staffs and provide bench players with steadier roles. The union also seeks to cap the number of times a player can be optioned to the minors in a season—currently unchecked—after which teams would be required to keep that player on the active roster or expose them to waivers.

The proposal targets the relentless shuttle of pitchers and position players between majors and minors, which has surged in recent years as front offices chase service-time manipulation and cost control. The numbers tell the story: in 2023, MLB teams optioned players 3,187 times, up 12% from 2019, while the average MLB reliever threw 56 pitches per appearance—both figures that fuel fatigue and roster churn. The union argues the current system forces players into a revolving door that harms development, shortens careers, and erodes competitive balance.

“Players aren’t commodities to be shuffled,” said MLBPA executive director Tony Clark. ” Limiting options forces a retreat from the 13-pitcher model that has dominated roster construction for the past half-decade. Managers can no longer treat the minor leagues as a free bullpen, meaning they must rely on starters to go deeper into games or ask relievers to handle higher workloads on consecutive days.

This structural change demands a return to roster stability, effectively penalizing teams for failing to develop durable starting pitching and removing the safety net of constant roster churn to mask ineffective roster building. Economically, the proposal strikes a direct blow at service-time manipulation, a tactic used to delay arbitration eligibility and free agency. By restricting the ability to shuttle players up and down, the union removes a key mechanism teams use to keep a player's service time clock paused.

If a team must decide between keeping a player on the 26-man roster—starting their service time—or losing them to waivers, the incentive to stash talent in the minors for cost control evaporates, potentially shifting millions of dollars in earnings back to the players earlier in their careers. This strategic shift directly confronts the modern reliance on expanded pitching staffs and the roster churn that has turned active spots into revolving doors. By restricting the ability to shuttle fresh arms up and down, the union is effectively trying to force front offices to commit to a defined roster composition rather than treating players as interchangeable parts for marginal matchup advantages.

The move challenges the economic logic that has prioritized cost-efficiency and flexibility over the stability required for long-term player development. The proposal represents a significant escalation in the battle over how baseball talent is managed, framing roster churn as a workplace safety issue rather than a mere competitive strategy. While owners have historically resisted measures that reduce their ability to manipulate service time or manage workloads dynamically, the MLBPA is banking on the visible physical toll of the modern game to force concessions.

If the league rejects these guardrails, the dispute threatens to move beyond roster mechanics into a broader confrontation over the fundamental value of job security in a high-burnout sport. What’s next: The league has 10 days to respond to the MLBPA’s offer before the union can declare impasse and escalate pressure tactics. If adopted, the changes would mark the first major overhaul to roster rules in more than a decade and could reshape how teams manage talent deep into pennant races. Read at ESPN