Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association are making a “last-minute attempt at haggling” in hopes of reaching an agreement on a deal regarding the 2020 season, tweets ESPN’s Buster Olney. It seems the last-ditch effort to find a common ground is the reason that the MLBPA has twice delayed its scheduled meeting to vote on MLB’s 60-game proposal.
If the two sides aren’t able to reach a compromise, commissioner Rob Manfred is expected to implement a season at a length of the league’s choosing. Doing so would ensure the players their prorated salaries for the duration of the 2020 season and would not include the expanded playoffs which the union has offered to ownership. Barring an agreement between the two sides, we’re down to the “last hours” before Manfred implements a season length, per Olney.
Throughout this process, both parties have maintained that they hope to reach a deal rather than have a season set by Manfred under the preexisting March agreement. Players are hopeful of reaching a negotiated agreement because doing so would result in playing more games at their prorated salary levels. Ownership wants a negotiated deal because that’s the only means of achieving the significant playoff expansion (and thus postseason revenue) in 2020-21. The March agreement indicates that players would need to sign off on postseason expansion.
To this point, onlookers are plenty aware that neither side has been willing to come down off its key points. The union is insisting on prorated salary, and the league is staunchly against pushing regular-season play beyond Sept. 27 and — as of last week — opposed to playing any more than 60 games at prorated levels of pay.
The exact points that the two sides are discussing aren’t clear, although Joel Sherman of the New York Post provides a bit of insight (all Twitter links). The league has told the union that it can only offer forgiveness on the standing $170MM advance to players on split contracts (a total of about $33MM that would effectively only be paid to the game’s lowest-paid players) and that no money would be added to the players’ share of the 2020-21 playoff pool. If fewer than 50 games are played, though, the league would strike the agreements on expanded playoffs and a universal DH in 2021.
Whatever the specifics, it doesn’t appear that length of schedule is among the points of negotiation at this juncture. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that the two sides are trying to work out an agreement on a 60-game season and that failing a negotiated agreement, Manfred will implement a season of 54 to 60 games.
Notably, ESPN’s Ben Cafardo tweets that Manfred is expected to speak on television soon. That certainly suggests that a resolution could finally be nigh — whether it’s Manfred announcing a deal with the union or simply announcing that he has implemented a season length under the March agreement.
We still don’t have a sense for how the league plans to address additional COVID-19 outbreaks within the sport, which we saw last week when 40 players and staff members tested positive (including eight in one organization). If a season length is at long last settled upon today — one way or another — the two sides they can pivot their full attention to that critical component of return-to-play talks.
I’m so sick of hearing about this, decide one way or another and save us from this insanity
But aren’t we actually being the insane ones… we keep following it expecting a different result ;p
Yup
Every one:::Don’t look at the light!!!!!!
Me: I can’t help it….It’s so beautiful!!!!!! ……..ZAP!!!
Yup…
The pure astonishment and rage the day the season is actually cancelled should be a gas – O/U 16 mins till comments shut down on that one
I would bet the over but not by a whole lot. I think that the board will be open but then politics will be brought in and then they will get tired of moderating the board. I was surprised that the board for 40 players/staffers testing positive was shut down.. Was it ever open for comment?
@thorshair – look I see what you’re saying – but do you not think the baseball response to the virus reflects upon your (our) nations actions as a whole?
I speak as a Londoner (an occasionally sober British person across the Atlantic) and our response has been utterly pathetic. In immediacy the vulnerable should have been furloughed (the elderly, the obese, those with underlying medical conditions) and the rest of us should have been left to fend for ourselves.
I’m a lefty liberal, who has lost an aged WW2 hero relative to Covid but honest to God, I find the one step from lockdown pandemic to don’t care anarchic baffling. So did he.
No one in authority (be it politics, sports admin, underwater lobster racing) has been able to grasp this. The baseball argument is 70% covid and (take your sides) 14-16% players vs owners. It stuns me no-one in baseball authority can grasp this. It stuns me that Manfred vs Clark is the battle of the imbeciles.
It further stuns me (I like the word) that both sides didn’t have the intellect to say – at day one – we don’t think we can do this, but we’re going to try….
Because no expectations to some expectations is so much better than this tomfoolery…
It stuns me that you can’t comprehend how much of this really is Owners v Players, and an apex of their long running battle for leverage. What drove them to reach an impasse is merely peripheral now.
This is MLB trade RUMORS, maybe if rumors make you that sick you need to choose another site to follow, just sayin.
Disgusting. They’re all fools. Sad!
About time
More games is better; I do not care about the money on either side.
As for health, there are a lot of brilliant doctors and scientists involved so I’m not going to sweat that either.
If it’s deemed safe to play, then PLAY BALL !
Zzzz
65 games, expanded playoffs. Everybody wins
Yes
Exactly. Just meet in the middle.
i dont get why this is so hard to figure out. every other league did.
Because the other leagues don’t have as strong of a union
We will see how strong that union is come the negotiating of the CBA prior to the 2022 season. I believe its going to be a strike or lockout and if that happens, it won’t be resolved without a salary cap of some sort. Let’s see how long the players will stand together then.
The players held together in 94-95, and they weren’t exactly playing for free then.
The other leagues have basically wrapped up their regular seasons, and they have a revenue sharing formula in place for the games they do play.
Patrick.
Not to mention, since baseball is a non-contact sport, it’s “possible” they could get by with having a season.
It’s the “Possibility” of hope that poses the problem.
And it’s outdoors, which should help some.
No doubt there have been extensive talks not being published that go into details on the health issues.
Just wait until the NFL has to push it’s season back then have to talk about a shorter schedule. The NFLPA will go off the deep end then. As Patrick said the NHL and NBA have most of their regular seasons complete. The NFL will be in the same boat if they can not play when the first games are scheduled.
Sleepy Joe would be saying let’s get the skates on and play hoop.
Or….. He was safe. His foot cross the 3 point line before goalie block the punt. Home Plate Ump -Sleepy Joe
Yes, because your candidate is a model of rational behavior and lucid thought. By the way, this is a site about baseball…take the political stuff elsewhere, please.
Both candidates have huge issues.
I’m not really sure why we talk politics here.
Both candidates provide plenty of ammunition to believe each is the worst candidate ever.
Except one wants to use the US military against his own people… Worst. President. Ever. And this comes from someone who stupidly voted for him.
Its a joke for pete’s sake.
Yes, sadly you’re right, it is a joke.
You mean one wants to protect bushiness that are being destroyed by the lawless. Wow, what a horrible person.
In more interesting news, I had a breakfast burrito this morning. Still undecided about lunch.
West coast I’m assuming?
Did you decide to have it after deciding not to have, after previously having decided 100% it was going to be a burrito for breakfast? How many weeks did it take you to decide and did you have to negotiate with a spouse?
And if there are any unintended consequences, do you file a grievance against the burrito?
Grey, is that you burrito boy?
Black beans or refries?
If there are unintended consequences, do you fear a legal reprisal from your digestive system against your brain, hands, and mouth? If so, how do you expect to fight back?
After they figure this out the fans should boycott and not go to the games. lol
You mean not go to the games that already aren’t allowed to have fans in attendance? That would be really effective… boycotting attending something you already weren’t allowed to attend… lol
He must be from Miami or Tampa where no one goes anyway.
One way or another, it appears there will be an abbreviated 2020 MLB season unless the coronavirus says otherwise.
Up to this point, out of the principle that ownership should never be funded by it’s staff, I have been on the players side, but this is where they need to sign. They have every right to demand there their full, pro-rated salaries.
But the players have managed to finagle another 10 games out of the owners while keeping full pro-rated pay. It might feel like a pyric victory as 60 games of pro rated pay is still pretty small compared to a full season but the MLBPA needs to read the tea leaves now.
I know the players can say they are honoring the agreement to play as many games as possible but considering the atmosphere of our country and the resurging Covid-Sars, if there is a grievance, I don’t think they will win.
After all of this back and forth, it becomes pretty clear that it isn’t safe for the players or anyone else on the ground crews or in the clubhouse. My fear is that a major league player will die—maybe more than one. Is it worth it? No. I’ll wait till 2021, or even 2022 (as much as I would miss it) to see baseball again.
My fear is that a mlb player or two will die in a car crash on the way to the game. Maybe they should cancel games forever to avoid the possibility of death
Oh, so well stated! There’s a danger in the world we are pretty much forced to accept (transportation), so we should absolutely make a lame point in regards to a disease that CAN be defeated if we do the right things! That’s EXACTLY the same!!
There is a larger chance that a player would die in an accident than covid-19. That’s not my opinion, it’s a fact that you can verify easily.
As for defeating the virus by “doing the right things” is absurd and inaccurate. We can help mitigate the risk of spreading it via masks and washing hands, but it doesn’t defeat it. From a factual standpoint. the only way to defeat the virus is via a vaccine or herd immunity where it becomes hard for the virus to spread.
Now, can we get back to baseball negotiations that will go nowhere?
So let me see if I understand this. If the season is called off, no player will die in a car crash. Luis Valbuena and Oscar Tarvares would have loved to know that.
Also, let their insurance companies know.
It’s takes a little bit of discernment to have the ability to perform a little risk analysis, you don’t have any.
They were ambushed. It wasn’t a car accident
No flexibility on the playoff pool
No flexibility on the advance writeoff
No flexibility on the number of games
No flexibility on anything, except they’ll cancel the expanded playoffs in 2021 if less than 50 games are played in 2020, but only if they also remove the DH.
Just more lipstick on the same old pig. I still don’t see why the players would vote for this
Because the league could just not play at all. Some pay is far better than no pay.
Here’s a genius idea… 65 games!
Sick of these idiots!
Maybe we can start a GoFundMe for the owners to mitigate their losses? Maybe kids can break open their piggy banks and mail the money to the owners? Maybe all hot dogs, everywhere, should be $9.00 more expensive than usual on game days. (Of course the $9.00 extra per hot dog would be sent to the owners.)
#prayforowners
No fans = no hot dogs.
Also, fans are more likely to buy alcohol than hot dogs. Get rid of the end alcohol sales after 7th inning rule!
As far as I am concerned, the owners and players might as well play zero baseball games because all both sides are playing are childish games.
Well I mean, isn’t that what the players do for a living?
Blah, blah, blah, blah – shut up & get it done – we’re all victims of circumstance (per the original Curly).
Players might actually be better off letting Manfred impose the 54 game season, no expansion, none of the other concessions, and take the 1/3 salary and file a grievance. I realize it’s a radical idea, but the owners aren’t offering all that much more on a “negotiated” deal.
Not sure how they would win a grievance though. It would be pretty easy to say that one of the leading experts, Dr Fauci, suggested they should not play baseball past October. They could then very easily show why a schedule of 50-60 games was realistic due to the health concerns and the calendar. The players could argue that the owners delayed the start to meet the calendar needs of a shorter season but the issue with that would be that the owner’s can point to the language of the March deal and statements by MLBPA negotiators that said they were aware that with no fans, they would discuss the pay in good faith.
Long story short, I don’t think either side has an winning argument on a greivance so they are both better served by figuring it out. The question is are they smart enough to do that?
I honestly don’t care anymore. They could have made a quick deal and came out looking like heroes by giving the country a much needed lift and distraction. But greed gonna greed.
Maybe since they are so in the tank with BLM, they can get them to tear down all the so called racist statues outside the stadiums.
Why not take off 2020 and 2021 too. Maybe the fans are more important than a few dollars more and supporting Marxist groups.
Why you even care about the union voting on this proposal? It’s so silly people, if we all pay attention you’ll notice that Major league facilities have been closing because the spread of covid. There is 100% possibility that there’s not going to be a season in my opinion and I don’t follow these bologna stories about how they’re going to try to get a season in. Mookie never played a game for the Dodgers unless they sign him. The Reds traded for Trevor Bauer, gave up a lot just for his ten startsa. The Cardinal s catcher Molina lost his last year of his contract And it may be or was his only chance to start as he is now going to have a hard time getting in contract as a starter. There’s a lot of teams affected by this cancellation of the season I can go on and on
“…and Francisco Franco is still dead.”
That’s about all you didn’t cover. Thanks for the summary, Chevy.
By definition, a possibility means that it can happen. So sure, there’s a 100% possibility that something will happen. 🙂
Oh good, it’s nice of them to come to an agreement after it’s become clear that a season is untenable. I look forward to them starting up only to cancel four or five days before a the season starts.
With today’s media, and corporate America conspiring in the shadows- you have to be quite gullible to take the 40 people testing positive as gospel.
The creation of a bubble is baseballs own doing. Adults can make their own decisions if they want to go to games or take their families to games. There’s no way owners can be held liable if someone gets sick and says they got it at their stadium. All the owners are doing is just conforming to the will of puppet masters. And they do so at the expense of their business, relations with players, and relations w fans. What a shame ! And a sham.
You can tell who the younger folks are by the way they react to this BS. They believe every lie told by the left, and that is a LOT of lies.
What lie is that Kevin?
No. It’s a pandemic. So if you knowing have it, baseball can’t just let you play.
What is with you people?
No one said they can play with covid…hello??
Exactly, they’re just ignorant. You can’t help everyone, there always will be the the dumb and there will always be the not so dumb
Figure it the $#!? out already. This $&@# show has gone on long enough.
There will be a negotiated settlement. The fact that MLB and MLBPA are still talking after all this time and despite their acrimonious relationship is all you need to know.
Negotiating labor contracts, etc gets ugly. That’s why it shouldn’t play out in the headlines.
Yay. Yawn. Repeat.
Using Trout as an example is cliche corp America- using stars to fulfill their agenda.
The median salary for MLB players is 1.5 mil. Granted that’s a lot of money still, but it also costs a lot of money to live, pay taxes, and all other expenses that comes with baseball life. And when you are projecting to make that money and then you don’t – then a players financial stability can completely crumble.
So 90%+ of players making 1.5 mil or less will surely want a season. To create a voting scenario where we don’t hear nor see all those players votes is more propaganda
60 out of 162 games is about 38%. Major league minimum is 563,500.
1.5 mill times 0.38 is 570,000 or 570k.
563,500 times 0.38 is 214,130.
More than enough to live off of for a year. Plenty of people do so each year.
Expenses that come with baseball life?
If players spent money on things they couldn’t afford that’s on them. Work stoppage is always a possibility whether it’s CBA related or now health related.
Let this be a financial lesson to them.
Expenses that come with baseball life?? I’m fairly certain that all in-season expenses related to playing the game are covered by the team.
True, like us non MLB players, a mtg/rent payment must be paid, as private family expenses like eating and diaper costs.
But you may want to re-check some numbers — a little research shows that approx. 50% of all MLB players are paid
at least $2M (or more). Your 90% number is in left field. Try again
The actual breakdown
Of 780 players in MLB, using 26 man rosters x 30 teams
13 make over $30M per year
46 make over $20M per year (including those over 30M)
87 make over 15M per year
139 make over 10M
240 make over 5M
325 make over 3M
385 make over 2M
453 make over 1M
537 make over 600K
243 make under 600K
On 40 man rosters, including those who get optioned, there are an additional 420 players for a total of 663 of 1,200 players making under 600K. 55.25%
62.25% of players who are union members earn under $1M per year. Probably none of them are player reps voting on the proposal today.
Well said Pat !
As I previously said, and thank you for the back up, approx. 50% of MLB players make $2M or more. I was not commenting on 40 man rosters or union participation.
Either way the 90% number cited earlier is way off.
90% of players making 1.5 mil or less. Try to quiet the voice in your head while reading and you will comprehend better
There’s a reason 59 players make more than $20 million, they are (or were in the case of playes such a Pujols) the top players than most fans want to see. Also, some of those players making below a certain point will one day, if trends continue, make similar money.
Tiny — try your own advice. My numbers and Patrick’s prove you are completely wrong.
90% of players making 1.5 mil or less = complete lie. What’s your point for lying tiny? Or are Patrick’s numbers too complex for you too understand?
The numbers presented are progressively increasing – you cant total each category with others. WOW.
385 making $2M = 50% 0f all players on the 26 man rosters. Do the math.
Lots of work…but your numbers are not adding up. They are adding up to over 2000 players?
I tried to point out at the top that one group could also be included the next.
So the group over $20M includes those over $30M, etc.
Comprehension tough??
..…Nice data Patrick, thanks.
Holy smokes dude. Read the comment. 90%+ of players who are making 1.5 mil or less. Not 90% of players make 1.5 or less. Quit with the day drinking
I guess they think the fans are all sitting around with bated breath to see what they decide.
Wouldn’t the players just prefer Manfred dictate a 55 game season at their full prorated salaries and no expanded playoffs?
– and no playoff pool
– no $33M advance loan write off
– no DH in 2021
– no expanded playoffs
– grievance is still there
For a difference of 5 games? I’m sure there are opinions both ways on that.
Wake me when they work this out, not before.
All of this haggling seems a bit silly and premature. Corona Virus cases have been going up here in Florida. Camps have had to be closed. Just because they reach an agreement the virus won’t care one bit. I don’t want to see resources taken away from other things so baseball or any other sport can have a season. I love baseball but we are in the middle of a pandemic. That should be our priority not getting overpriced athletes playing again. I feel really bad for the minor leaguers. i ,worked with the mom of one who just began is career in the Giants organization as a pitcher. So, i don’t see this really happening any time soon until the new case numbers start to drop.
You must be from Key West as everything’s up from there.
The thing we don’t know is, how many of those that are now testing positive, now that many more are being tested, are positive but are well beyond the contagious stage already. Many may have contracted the virus 2-3 months ago and the virus ran the course well before they showed up in Florida or Arizona for training. If they had no real symptoms and would never have gotten tested till they showed up in camp. They get marked down as a positive test but can’t infect anyone anymore. This can be happening a lot with what appears to be a “spike” but just delay in testing and would have been counted a month or so ago if the tests would have been available then.
Groundhog Day
I have an idea. The MLB owners are looking to their staff (players) to fund their losses. Why NOT ask the fans for the assistance they so direly need? If they can’t have us there, we can send them the money we would have otherwise spent. Collectively fans have more money than the players.
If fans don’t want to support the principle of staff never funding ownership because of our extreme circumstances than hey, why NOT turn to the fans to help fund ownerships losses?
So if every fan contributes $60 to the pool, we can help the owners carry their losses.
So by a show of hands, who’s in? What? Nobody? Huh.. that’s surprising. I guess it’s MUCH easier to tell OTHER people to contribute their money to something than to do it yourself.