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COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK - JULY 27: Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera attends the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Clark Sports Center on July 27, 2025 in Cooperstown, New York. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

As we inch closer to the MLB offseason, a question looms large in the baseball world: Will there be a lockout? The factor here will be the implementation of a salary cap. While many in baseball are against a cap, a New York Yankees legend is on record as being for it.  

Hall-of-Fame closer Mariano Rivera said at a recent Latinos in Sports event that he believes that MLB should adopt it in its next collective bargaining agreement, according to CNBC’s Alex Sherman.

The MLB CBA expires at the end of this season, setting up tense negotiations between the league and its players.

What Did New York Yankees Legend Mariano Rivera Say?

Amid what is set to be an ugly battle between the league and MLBPA, Rivera had something to say.

“Yes, there should be one, because it has to be fair to everybody,” Rivera said. “It makes the competition better.”

It’s very notable for a player, especially a retired one like Rivera, to make this admission. While most of the MLB owners will want a salary cap, it will likely be up to the MLBPA.

Rivera made over $170 million over his legendary 19-year career, according to Baseball-Reference.

Rivera said any salary cap should include provisions that the teams that spend less also invest in improving competition in some other way. This means he supports a salary floor to come with the cap.

The smaller-market teams are more likely to be against a salary floor. However, a floor will not come without a cap.

“If I’m giving you money — from my pocket to you — to make the team better, I believe you should do that and not pocket it,” Rivera said

MLB currently has a revenue-sharing program that distributes local media money equally to all 30 teams.

What Does This Mean for the League and Its Teams?

MLB is the only major American sports league without a salary cap. While many of the American leagues have had a salary cap for decades, MLB faces its decision shortly.

The change in payroll between the small-market teams and the large-market teams has grown larger in recent years.

As teams like the Yankees, New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers continue to grow their payroll, the disparity grows.

A record 11 teams opened the 2026 season with payrolls of at least $200 million, according to a USA Today analysis.

While that occurs, the 10 lowest-spending teams have increased their payrolls by just 1.9%, according to the Wall Street Journal.

This has led many to believe a salary floor would also benefit the league, something that isn’t implemented in major U.S. leagues.

While the competitive balance is better than it’s been in recent decades, with seven different champions in the last 10 years, it may not be enough to sway the league away from a long lockout.

Regardless of what Rivera says, the impending lockout will likely be ugly. If there is a season in 2027, it will likely be severely impacted as teams like the Yankees will have to reduce payroll.