New MLB union head Meyer dismisses salary cap, defends free agency, arbitration
PHOENIX — Bruce Meyer staunchly defended free agency and salary arbitration on his first full day as head of the baseball players’ association, dismissing any possibility of agreement on a salary cap in another sign of a likely labor confrontation next winter.
The 64-year-old was promoted to executive director on Wednesday, a day after the forced resignation of Tony Clark, who had led the union since 2013. The sport’s five-year labor contract expires on Dec. 1 and Major League Baseball is expected to propose a salary cap.
“We believe in a meritocracy,” Meyer said Thursday after meeting with Milwaukee Brewers players. “We believe in a system, and players believe in a system, that rewards players for performance.”
MLB players struck for 7 1/2 months in 1994-95 to fight off a cap proposal, a structure used by the NFL, NBA and NHL.
“We don’t believe in a system that’s basically a zero-sum game that says ‘If we pay you, we’ve got to take that out of the pocket of another player,’” Meyer said. “That’s how the other systems work.”
Meyer spent 30 years at the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges before joining the NHL Players Association in 2016 as senior director of collective bargaining, policy and legal. He’s been the MLBPA’s chief negotiator since 2018, though his tenure hasn’t always been smooth. Some players tried to oust him two years ago, when with Clark’s backing he fought off the challenge.
“You’re never going to have, with that many people, everybody agreeing with everything,” Meyer said. “It just doesn’t happen. Other unions I’ve been involved with and other labor situations, you’re never going to get everyone on the same page. But you try and do the most you can. Disagreements are not just expected, they’re actually great.”
Meyer defended baseball’s system of salary arbitration and free agency that has existed since the mid-1970s and has pushed the average salary to the $5 million range.
“Salary arbitration is a crucial right. It’s something that players fought for decades ago,” he said. “It’s important because it’s the first ability a player has to really access something like their free market. It is not a perfect system, but it’s better than the alternative, certainly, that the league has proposed.”
Under the current system, Juan Soto was able to command a record 15-year, $765 million contract from the New York Mets. The high-spending Los Angeles Dodgers won their second straight World Series last season after signing Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million deal.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says the teams and fans are concerned about payroll disparity.
“Salary cap doesn’t help players at any level. It doesn’t help the middle-class players,” Meyer said. “It’s not just a math game because salary cap comes with an erosion or complete elimination essentially of guaranteed contracts. ... It eliminates freedom and flexibility. And, of course, over time, once you’re in that system, the history is it always becomes worse and worse for players.”
Clark was asked to resign by the eight-man subcommittee after an investigation by the union’s outside counsel discovered evidence he had an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, a union employee since 2023, a person familiar with the union’s deliberations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because that detail was not announced.
Meyer said the MLBPA will work with the same outside counsel to determine if any changes needed to be made to the organization in the aftermath of Clark’s resignation, including the future of the union’s office in Scottsdale.
“There’s a lot of things that are going to be under review,” Meyer said. “We want to make sure we’re engaged in best practices at all times. We’ll take recommendations from the people who are advising us, who are doing investigations and audits, everything is up for review.”
Meyer expects his interim role will last through the current round of negotiations. Players will then decide how to proceed.
“It’s unfortunate the way things kind of went down but we’re feeling really good, we’re confident in the people we have,” said Giants pitcher Tristan Beck, the team’s alternate player representative. “Bargaining’s the No. 1 thing on the union’s mind this year and I think we’re in as good a spot as we were yesterday.”
Soon after he was elected, Meyer spoke with MLB’s chief negotiator, whom he has clashed with during bargaining.
“Dan Halem gave me a call last night, and he was very nice, very gracious, very classy,” Meyer said of the deputy commissioner. “Despite occasional reports of contrary, we have a good relationship.”
A former All-Star first baseman, Clark had been the first former player to head the union.
“Tony’s relationships are something that I certainly can’t duplicate overnight and maybe not ever,” Meyer said.
Meyer rejected claims he is overly influenced by Scott Boras, baseball’s most visible agent.
“Scott is an agent who represents a lot of players,” Meyer said. “He has no more influence over the running of the union than any other agent.
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Barcelona defender tells-all on Hansi Flick meeting
Barcelona are in one of their most difficult moments of the season, and head coach Hansi Flick is very aware of it. On Thursday, he called a meeting with his players to discuss where things have gone wrong, following back-to-back defeats against Atletico Madrid and Girona.
Eric Garcia, who started both matches, has now spoken to Tot Costa (via MD) on what was discussed during the hour-long discussion between Flick and the Barcelona players.
“We wanted to talk about what has happened (in the last week). The way we lost the first and then the second goal (vs Girona), everything is magnified. The Copa semi-final was very significant, and in Girona we lost the lead after taking the lead.
“It has been a positive meeting and we have all left happy. Since he arrived, we have had this style of play with the defensive line high. In La Liga we have conceded 23 or 24 goals and it is not a barbarity but in the Champions League they have been games with many goals. We know that with the style we have, the opponents know us. The key is that the other players make it easier for the defenders. We’ve been having a lot of turnovers lately that are killing us. In Girona, if instead of it happening 15 times, they do it six or seven… We’re human, but it’s about regaining control of the ball to find balance.”
Image via David Ramos/Getty Images
Eric: Barcelona can come back in La Liga and Copa del Rey
Despite the poor results in the last week, which have put Barcelona on the back foot in La Liga and the Copa del Rey, Eric is of the belief that he and his teammates can turn things around.
“In La Liga we have been in worse situations. When we left the Bernabeu we were five points behind, but the league is very long and we depend on ourselves. In the Copa, I think it is possible to come back against Atlético. If we have shown anything, it is that we can achieve any result. If we score a quick goal, even if they close themselves in at the back, we can create danger for them.”
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NFL dead cap hits over the last 7 seasons
In the cold, calculated world of NFL front offices, “dead money” is the ghost that haunts the salary cap. It is the lingering financial obligation for players no longer on the roster; the price paid for failed high-stakes gambles, sudden retirements, or the aggressive “win-now” restructures that define the modern era. Across the last seven seasons, from 2019 through 2025, the league has seen a staggering $9.73 billion in combined dead cap hits as teams prioritize roster mobility over long-term stability.
General Managers now treat the salary cap like a high-interest credit card; they swipe for immediate talent and deal with the interest payments later. Whether it was the Philadelphia Eagles eating a then-record hit to trade Carson Wentz or the Denver Broncos swallowing the massive fallout of the Russell Wilson era, dead cap has become a standard tool for rebuilding and reloading. While some teams, like the Cincinnati Bengals, operate under a “pay-as-you-go” philosophy, others treat dead money as a necessary tax to remain aggressive in the hunt for a Lombardi Trophy. From the league-leading spenders in Philly to the frugal accountants in Cincy, here is how all 32 teams have paid for their past decisions over the last seven years.
32. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have long maintained a reputation for fiscal conservatism, rarely venturing into the territory of massive guaranteed contracts that lead to dead cap. Their league-low total is a direct result of a “pay-as-you-go” structure that keeps their books remarkably clean.
Stat: $151M total dead cap since 2019.
31. Kansas City Chiefs
Despite their dynasty status, the Chiefs have managed their cap with surgical precision, rarely letting dead money spiral out of control. They tend to move on from aging stars only when the financial hit is manageable, prioritizing long-term flexibility around Patrick Mahomes.
Stat: $156M total dead cap since 2019.
30. Indianapolis Colts
Under Chris Ballard, the Colts have been notoriously disciplined, avoiding the “all-in” restructures that lead to massive ghost hits. Their low ranking reflects a front office that prefers to let contracts expire rather than cutting players with significant guarantees remaining.
Stat: $182M total dead cap since 2019.
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29. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers have largely avoided the massive dead cap spikes seen by their AFC West rivals by being selective with their high-guarantee extensions. They have maintained a relatively stable core, reducing the need for the “clearing of the decks” that inflates these totals.
Stat: $194M total dead cap since 2019.
28. Pittsburgh Steelers
True to their organizational philosophy, the Steelers rarely cut players they have signed to significant long-term deals. They prefer to let veterans see out their contracts, keeping their dead money figures among the lowest in the league over this seven-year span.
Stat: $219M total dead cap since 2019.
27. Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore’s front office is widely regarded as one of the league’s most efficient, using compensatory picks and smart drafting to avoid overpaying for external free agents. This discipline keeps its dead cap hits consistently below the league average.
Stat: $228M total dead cap since 2019.
26. Buffalo Bills
The Bills have occasionally taken bigger hits to reset their roster around Josh Allen, but they have generally avoided catastrophic dead-money years. Their management has been a balance of aggressive windows and responsible exit strategies.
Stat: $230M total dead cap since 2019.
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25. Washington Commanders
Despite years of organizational turnover, the Commanders’ dead cap total sits in the bottom third of the league. This is partly due to a lack of massive, long-term player investments that would have triggered larger hits upon release.
Stat: $270M total dead cap since 2019.
24. Dallas Cowboys
“America’s Team” often finds itself in the headlines for big contracts, but it has been adept at structuring deals that don’t leave it with massive dead money upon departure. They lean heavily on restructures to manage active cap rather than taking the hit of a release.
Stat: $273M total dead cap since 2019.
23. New England Patriots
In the post-Brady era, the Patriots have cycled through several roster iterations, resulting in moderate dead-cap spikes. However, Bill Belichick’s “value-first” approach generally prevented the team from carrying the league’s most egregious ghost hits.
Stat: $280M total dead cap since 2019.
22. Chicago Bears
Chicago’s total reflects a franchise that has undergone multiple regime changes and quarterback resets in a short window. Each new direction has required eating the remaining guarantees of the previous era’s core players.
Stat: $283M total dead cap since 2019.
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21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs took on a significant financial burden to build the “Super Bowl or Bust” roster around Tom Brady. Once that window closed, they were forced to swallow the dead money associated with those championship-winning restructures.
Stat: $291M total dead cap since 2019.
20. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings have consistently hovered in the middle of the pack, often navigating the complex guarantees of Kirk Cousins’ contracts. Their dead cap hits are the result of a team that has tried to stay competitive while periodically refreshing its aging defensive core.
Stat: $294M total dead cap since 2019.
19. Detroit Lions
Detroit’s number is heavily influenced by the massive dead hit taken during the Matthew Stafford trade, which was a necessary price to kickstart their successful rebuild. Since then, they have been much more calculated with their cap spending.
Stat: $296M total dead cap since 2019.
18. Green Bay Packers
The Packers’ dead cap total is defined by the end of the Aaron Rodgers era, which required a significant financial clearing to hand the keys to Jordan Love. It was the ultimate “tax” for nearly two decades of elite quarterback play.
Stat: $297M total dead cap since 2019.
17. Cleveland Browns
The Browns have been aggressive in using the salary cap to acquire talent, often resulting in complex contract structures that leave behind dead money when players are moved. Their strategy involves maximizing current windows at the expense of future flexibility.
Stat: $311M total dead cap since 2019.
16. Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta spent several years digging out from under the massive contracts of the late 2010s, most notably the record-setting dead hit for Matt Ryan. This seven-year period covers their difficult transition into a new era of football.
Stat: $312M total dead cap since 2019.
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15. Los Angeles Rams
The “F*** Them Picks” Rams are also the “F*** the Cap” Rams, frequently taking massive dead hits to move on from players like Jared Goff and Todd Gurley in pursuit of a Super Bowl. For them, dead money is simply the cost of winning.
Stat: $312M total dead cap since 2019.
14. Seattle Seahawks
Seattle’s high ranking is largely fueled by the departure of franchise icon Russell Wilson, who forced them to eat one of the largest dead cap hits in league history. It marked the definitive end of their most successful era… until their magnificent 2025-26 season, which culminated in a Super Bowl win.
Stat: $316M total dead cap since 2019.
13. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have undergone several massive roster overhauls since 2019, including a complete teardown and a subsequent aggressive build-up. Both phases required significant dead money to clear out unwanted contracts.
Stat: $325M total dead cap since 2019.
12. Arizona Cardinals
Arizona has seen a high volume of dead money due to frequent coaching changes and the resulting shifts in roster philosophy. Moving on from high-priced veterans who didn’t fit new schemes has kept their ghost roster expensive.
Stat: $337M total dead cap since 2019.
11. Denver Broncos
The Broncos’ position near the top is a direct result of the Russell Wilson trade fallout, which saw them swallow a historic $85 million hit over two years. It is one of the most expensive “mistakes” in NFL roster-building history.
Stat: $341M total dead cap since 2019.
10. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers’ aggressive pursuit of a championship has led to frequent restructures that eventually come due. They are willing to eat significant sums to ensure they have the flexibility to keep their core stars under contract.
Stat: $345M total dead cap since 2019.
9. Tennessee Titans
Tennessee’s high total reflects the end of the Mike Vrabel era and the decision to move on from aging veterans like Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry. The Titans chose a clean break over a slow decline, paying the price in dead cap.
Stat: $353M total dead cap since 2019.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars have been one of the league’s most active teams in free agency, which inevitably leads to high dead money totals when those splashy signings fail to meet expectations. They have paid a premium for constant roster turnover.
Stat: $362M total dead cap since 2019.
7. New York Giants
Big Blue’s dead money is a legacy of several front offices trying to bridge the gap between the Eli Manning era and the present. Constant coaching changes have led to a carousel of expensive players who didn’t last through their contracts.
Stat: $366M total dead cap since 2019.
6. New Orleans Saints
The Saints are the masters of cap manipulation, famously pushing hits into future years through constant restructures. Eventually, those bills come due, resulting in massive dead cap hits whenever a player finally leaves the building.
Stat: $370M total dead cap since 2019.
5. Las Vegas Raiders
With three different head coaches in this seven-year span, the Raiders have repeatedly paid to purge the previous regime’s roster. Their high ranking is a byproduct of a franchise that has struggled to find a consistent identity.
Stat: $378M total dead cap since 2019.
4. Houston Texans
The Texans’ massive figure stems from a scorched-earth rebuild following the departures of Deshaun Watson and other cornerstone players. They chose to take all their medicine at once, clearing the books for their current resurgence.
Stat: $379M total dead cap since 2019.
3. Carolina Panthers
Carolina has cycled through quarterbacks and coaches at an alarming rate, with each failed experiment leaving behind a trail of dead money. Their high total reflects a team stuck in a perpetual state of “starting over.”
Stat: $388M total dead cap since 2019.
2. New York Jets
The Jets have frequently used dead cap to “cleanse” the roster during their various rebuilds. By swallowing large hits early, they have attempted to give incoming regimes a blank slate, though the cycle has repeated multiple times.
Stat: $422M total dead cap since 2019.
1. Philadelphia Eagles
Topping the list, Howie Roseman and the Eagles treat dead cap as a strategic asset rather than a penalty. By aggressively moving on from players early, most notably Carson Wentz, they accept short-term financial pain to ensure they never stagnate.
Stat: $453M total dead cap since 2019.
Counting the cost of the ghost roster
While $9.73 billion is a staggering sum to pay for players no longer in the building, it is simply the modern tax for competing in the NFL. For teams like the Eagles and Rams, dead cap is a badge of aggressiveness; for others, it is a haunting ledger of errors. In a league where the window of opportunity is often just a few seasons wide, the only thing more expensive than paying for the past is failing to invest in the future.
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