Nonetheless, he clarified that the Golden At-Bat rule is far from being implemented and would require extensive experimentation at the minor league level before any serious consideration.

The Los Angeles Dodgers recently won the 2024 World Series, bolstered by their historic signing of Shohei Ohtani to a staggering 10-year, $700 million contract, leading to a luxury tax payroll of $401 million for 2025.

This high payroll reflects a broader trend in Major League Baseball, where larger market teams like the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and New York Yankees dominate spending.

In light of this financial disparity, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred acknowledged that there is significant interest among fans in smaller markets for a salary cap.

However, Manfred remains noncommittal about implementing a salary cap, preferring to observe how the next few seasons unfold before making any decisions.

While some small-market teams have made the playoffs, Manfred emphasizes the need for these teams to achieve deeper playoff runs, rather than merely qualifying.

In addition to salary cap discussions, Manfred mentioned potential innovations like the Golden At-Bat rule, which would allow teams to select any player to hit out of order once per game.