More than two months have passed since Major League Baseball cancelled what was left of Spring Training and delayed the start of the 2020 regular season. And while progress has been made toward getting back on the field, substantial hurdles need to be cleared.
MLB and the Players Association remain at odds over a financial plan for a potential 2020 season and there also needs to be an agreement for health and safety protocols in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
On the economic front, MLB team owners reportedly agreed to a plan for 2020 that entailed presenting the MLBPA with a 50-50 revenue split proposal. However, the union has maintained they have no interest in such a deal.
Although it was expected MLB would formally submit their proposal to the Players Association over the weekend, that’s now expected to occur within a couple days, according to Evan Drellich of The Athletic:
Major League Baseball plans to deliver a new economics proposal to the Players Association on Tuesday, sources said.
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) May 22, 2020
Given the stance of the MLBPA, it can be presumed MLB will revise their revenue split proposal. Though, messaging from owners has been they will lose more money by paying prorated salaries for games without fans in attendance than they would if the 2020 season was cancelled entirely.
Meanwhile, the Players Association has referenced a March agreement between the two sides that addressed service time and player salaries. Interpretation of the language in that contract has created a divide, but MLB purportedly has an email that supports the stance that new negotiations would be required if games were to be fan-less.
Despite the differences, a prevailing message is the two sides will ultimately come to terms so a 2020 season may be played. That not only has been expressed by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, but Los Angeles Dodgers teammates Clayton Kershaw and Justin Turner, among others.
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