Chicago White Sox general manager Ken Williams told CSNChicago.com on Monday that he'd favor "shutting down" baseball in order to improve the game's economic system.

Williams, while speaking about the Albert Pujols negotiations, said the game has â€œgotten to the point of no return" in terms of salaries and that a salary cap should be considered.

â€œYouâ€™re not going to get any disagreement from me or argument from me if the game is shut down for a while until something is put in place where there is some sort of cap on the board,â€ Williams told reporters.

The collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the players expires after this season. Union executive director Michael Weiner told reporters Monday that negotiations on a new pact might begin before opening day.

The White Sox raised their payroll in the offseason to what CSNChicago.com estimates to be $125 million. Williams signed free-agent DH Adam Dunn to a four-year, $56 million contract and re-signed first baseman Paul Konerko to a three-year, $37.5 million pact. Williams said paying $30 million a year for Pujols would be "asinine."

Williams appreciates being in charge of a big-market franchise, but he said he wouldn't mind having to work with the same payroll as everyone else.

â€œI personally, from a competitive standpoint, would love to be on an even playing field with everyone,â€ Williams said. â€œBut itâ€™s really difficult for me to complain too much when we still have a higher payroll than some of the others. So at least we have a fighting chance.â€

Williams' boss, White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, championed a salary cap and revenue sharing during baseballâ€™s labor strife of 1994-95.

Also Monday, New York Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner told reporters that baseball's revenue sharing and luxury tax programs need changes, and that commissioner Bud Selig is open to the idea.

Steinbrenner said his team paid about $130 million between the two programs in 2010.

He also said baseball should consider taking teams out of smaller markets, though he didn't say whether he was in favor of franchise relocation, contraction or both.

"We've got to do a little something about that, and I know Bud wants to correct it in some way," Steinbrenner said. "Obviously, we're very much allies with the Red Sox and the Mets, the Dodgers, the Cubs, whoever in that area."

"At some point, if you don't want to worry about teams in minor markets, don't put teams in minor markets, or don't leave teams in minor markets if they're truly minor," Steinbrenner said. "Socialism, communism, whatever you want to call it, is never the answer."

-- The Associated Press contributed to this report.