While the return of Major League Baseball could be just around the corner, a number of issues between the league and the Players Association still need to be sorted out.
Perhaps the biggest at hand, other than player safety, is a financial disagreement between MLB and the MLBPA. The two sides were able to come to an agreement in March that includes players earning a year of service time and prorated salaries regardless of the format of the 2020 season.
In the time since, reality has set in for the owners that if a regular season is played this year, there won’t be any fans in attendance. Because of that, owners are claiming they would lose more money by paying players prorated salaries as opposed to canceling the season altogether.
Meanwhile, the MLBPA still has not received a new financial proposal from the league, according to Joel Sherman of The New York Post:
And the Players Association still is waiting for a formal financial proposal from MLB.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred recently stated owners could lose around $4 billion in revenue if the season is canceled, so it would be in everyone’s best interest to get this situation figured out so players can return to the field.
A March email from the league to the MLBPA was recently revealed to outline that new negotiations would need to take place if there are to be no fans in attendance for the 2020 season.
Some players such as Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Blake Snell have stated that they won’t play unless they’re getting their full prorated salary. While it’s unclear how many other players would take that stance, both sides still seem optimistic that they will be able to come to an agreement in the coming weeks.
If that is the case then Spring Training could begin as soon as the middle of June, with Opening Day taking place a few weeks later at the beginning of July.
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