The player’s union has vociferously fought a salary cap for years, and for good reason. Free agency was a hard-won concession, and the free market has been very generous to ballplayers over the years. The ham-handed attempt by owners in 1994 to unilaterally impose a cap on players nearly wrecked the game.

Over the past two offseasons, the Los Angeles Dodgers have committed more than $2 billion in future player salaries, reigniting debate about whether a salary cap would ease the equity woes across the league.