Hal Steinbrenner was not fond of answering questions about Major League Baseball's labor negotiations with the players' association, but he came as close as possible to answering a very important one.

When asked at the New York Yankees' postmortem presser if he was in favor of a salary cap, the team's owner said he "support[s]" the owners' proposals - all of which include a cap.

"I've said before - let me put it this way as a member of the labor policy committee - I helped craft, one of many, the proposals that we have given at the bargaining table. And I support those proposals in their entirety. That's absolutely the case, so that should answer your question," Steinbrenner told reporters.

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"What I will say is as a member of the labor policy committee is that we are working hard on our end. We are completely focused on the task ahead of us, on the negotiating. And I'm optimistic we're gonna get a deal done, and we''e gonna get a deal done that's favorable for both sides."

Players have adamantly opposed a salary cap and said it is non-negotiable. The owners are expected to lock out the players on Dec. 1, when the current collective bargaining agreement expires.

The Yankees' $336 million payroll was the third-largest in baseball during the 2026 season, behind the Los Angeles Dodgers ($422 million) and New York Mets ($338 million).

Arguments skew both ways, but a constant has remained in that the highest payrolls continue to go up, while the lowest payrolls remain at a stall. The Marlins' payroll is actually roughly half of what it used to be in 2017, despite a sale of the team and everyone in the league making more money than ever. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have already committed more money in 2030 than 12 teams have this season.

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MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has said that owners are simply "listening to our fans" regarding a salary cap and said it "defies human experience... to think that the bottom end of that [payroll] gap has the same opportunity to win the top end." It should be noted, though, that the National League-winning Milwaukee Brewers swept the Dodgers with the 11th-smallest payroll, and they will be facing the Tampa Bay Rays, who have the league's third-smallest payroll. They defeated the Cleveland Guardians, who rank 29th in payroll, in the American League Division Series.

Major League Baseball has never had a salary cap.

"Salary cap is the ultimate excuse not to compete. It's the ultimate excuse for an owner to say, ‘Gee, I would like to make the team better, but you know I can’t,'" interim MLBPA executive director Bruce Meyer said during the All-Star break. "Salary caps are bad for fans. Salary caps prevent teams from doing the things that they believe are in their interest to make the team better."

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"Every team in baseball can afford to compete, many are choosing not to," Meyer added. "To me, that's the biggest problem right now."

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Steinbrenner mentioned Wednesday that the Yankees' payroll in 2026 was the highest in franchise history.

The Los Angeles Angels’ new ownership era will bring another familiar change: a new manager in the dugout.

Only the Colorado Rockies finished the 2026 regular season with more losses than the Angels. Los Angeles’ 100 defeats ultimately ended Kurt Suzuki’s one-season tenure, with the team declining its 2027 option on his contract.

Baseball operations consultant John Mozeliak announced the decision in a statement Wednesday. "Kurt has earned tremendous respect in our clubhouse, and I’ve seen firsthand how much he cares about our players," Mozeliak said. "I do not believe our record this year was a true reflection of his true abilities as a manager."

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Suzuki’s time with the Angels may not be over, as the team has offered him an opportunity to remain with the organization as a special assistant.

Mozeliak said he made the decision in coordination with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which agreed Sept. 1 to purchase a controlling interest in the Angels from Arte Moreno.

The sale is not expected to close until next year, but the group led by Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke is already making significant changes to the beleaguered franchise.

The Angels ended the season at 62-100 under Suzuki, which marked the first 100-loss season in franchise history. Suzuki ended his 16-year major league playing career as a catcher for the Halos in 2021-22. Suzuki had never been a manager at any level before he was hired exactly one year ago by general manager Perry Minasian.

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Suzuki had previously worked as Minasian's special assistant for the previous three seasons.

Minasian was fired by Moreno last June, and longtime St. Louis Cardinals general manager Mozeliak stepped in on a temporary basis to run the front office while leading the search for a permanent GM to replace him. However, that transition plan has been thrown into flux by Moreno’s decision to sell

Mozeliak’s current contract ends in December, with the possibility of an MLB work stoppage looming.

Angels pitching coach Mike Maddux and two staffers were let go in August after Mozeliak determined the team was not fully leveraging the technology and analytics available to its pitchers.

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Suzuki’s replacement will be the seventh manager to lead the Angels in nine seasons since it parted with Mike Scioscia after the 2018 season. The Angels have had 11 consecutive losing seasons and 12 straight non-playoff seasons, both the longest active skids in the major leagues.

Two other MLB teams, the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros, are also searching for new managers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.